Empty tears
by Soulreciever
Summary: From the mysery of Cirith Ungol is spawned an adventure of danger, excitment and love. Slash in later chapters
1. flashes

Empty tears.

1. Flashes.

T: And this is my next big fic, with five chapters written and two more in the works. What is it about? Ahhh you shall just have to read and see won't you? LOTR not mine, if it were then I'd most likely have done something like this with ROTK. Warnings of ANGST, SPOILERS and maybe SLASH in the later chapters. Also there will be DIRECT QUOTES here that are not marked and deviation from cannon at a few key points. More importantly this is BOOK CANNON people and that means that this whole thing shall make no sense to those who have seen Return of the King and yes that is where I have been. What did I think of it? It's been over a week now and I'm still speechless (in a good way). Yeh let us continue on shall we?

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It was all there in his head as sharp flashes of Technicolor against the monochrome of the Before and the After. The black of the long tunnel and its rancid stench of decay and death. The flash of sudden pail yellow as his Master awoke the Ladies light. The vast pustule mass of mottled brown that was the Beasts body and the mockery of the Ladies reflected in those cruel eyes. The grey circle of the sky viewed and the flash of the ladies light against Sting as it cut through gossamer thin threads. The bright morning glory blue of his Master's eyes as he turns to him before he springs out into freedom like some wild thing. The streak of brown as the Beast appears between him and his Master and the cold clammy grey of Gollum's hand as it ceases around his neck.  The red mist of anger and the clear colourless liquid that flows from the Beasts stomach. The pail white of his Master's dead skin and the blackness of grief and despair. 

Yet from that blackness a sudden certainty had ceased him and he knew that his fate was not to linger at his Master's side, but to take the Ring and continue on the path. Thus decided he had freed the thing from his Master's neck and then began on his road.

He had glanced behind him only one on those first led lined steps, to assure himself that his Master's form was still he had left it and then he had carried on his path, silent always and wishing in his heart of hearts that he could ask the Lady to let him come again to his Master's side once his task was done.

That had been half a day ago and his path had led him now into the great dark of Mordor. Yet there was no fear in his small heart, indeed there was nothing there now. For all that he had been bound tight into his own quest, nothing so grand or as important as that which his Master has taken, yet true enough to him. That quest had failed through his Master's kind heart and his own willingness to do as the Master has bid. For if he had only fought Frodo's decision to the trust the vile Thing, if only he had only talked of the over heard conversation, then perhaps things could have been another way and his Quest may not have failed.

And such thoughts, such cold hope in this desolate place, tugged at the emptiness of his heart and he fell to the floor and wept empty tears.

*

He has been tracking the Halflings since they had departed Emyn Arnen at the request of Captain Faramir. He had not questioned the order, though it had seemed as folly to him to send only one man as aid. Yet one man was all they could spare and the logic had been that one of the Larger folk keeping up the rear might give them the edge they needed.

He had been little help in their hardest moment though, for he had been lost within the complicated network of the Beasts tunnels and had immerged into the light only in time to see the faint form of the Ring bearer's companion disappearing into the distance. Frodo himself had been laid out in the road in the peaceful attitude of death, yet he knew that the spider's bite was not deadly, but merely acted as a sedative and that the Halfling lived still. 

He thought for a moment to lift the Ring bearer into his arms and follow the other Halfling so that he might give him this news and this gift. But something within himself warned that the other was fare from reach now, that his path was sundered from the Ring bearer's for now at least. And so he brought the small thing into his arms and biding a silent prayer to the other turned and began to retrace his steps.

*

He had little knowledge of where he might turn in this dark land, for he had been assured that this path would be trodden also by his Master, who had spent his time gazing at maps in the peaceful quiet of Rivendale. He felt himself drawn, though, ever Northwards, though his goal was clear to the East as a light, pail in the shadow of the filth that the mountain was giving forth.

Travelling only by that draw his mind drifted to those he had left behind. It was the early morning of the fourteenth if March and had he the gift of foresight or perhaps even a plantír he would have seen Aragorn hard on the road to Pelagir, Merry sat listening to the drums of the wild men and Pippin sat with the lord Denethor and feared for the life of Faramir. No such comfort was his though and he imagined still that all the other members of the Fellowship were dead now and that he was the last and that all their hopes and wishes were set on his shoulders now as a burden 

Having no wish to think on that anymore he tried to stir some hope into his heart by thought of his homeland. Yet what would his father say when he returned without his master at his side? What would he say to Merry's family and Pippin's? What would he do with his life when he completed this last task? What would be left for him now that his hope and heart was dead?

He stopped then and sank again to the floor, weary beyond the comprehension of the word, but he was afraid still to sleep, aware always of Gollum's presence like a shadow in his mind. He pulled his pack in front of him, therefore, and busied his mind with assessing how well his supplies were holding. He had enough for two, maybe three days hard trek and then the water would run low, another two days would see the end of his food and the slow decent into starvation. 

`Ain't nothing for it but to hope I find something in this desolate place. ` He thought before he smiled to himself, a hard smile entirely devoid of humour or joy. For he smiled at the concept of having any hope in anything at this point, when hope had died to him and all that was left was his duty to his Master.

Thoughts of Frodo again led him to that moment of terrible choice and for the first time he considered that he might have chosen the wrong path. Yet how could he have gone in any other way? For Frodo was dead and he was the last chance now for an ending to this thing. Yet some small part of him believed that Frodo was still alive, that he should have stayed by his Master's side to see this truth. 

Oddly his next thought was of a conversation he had had long ago with his father about instinct. It had been two springs ago when the whether had been particularly hard and drought had all but set in to the plants of the Shire. Yet his father had continued to water and tend the flowers at Bag End as though nothing had changed. When Sam, all but twenty at the time, pointed out that it might be best to let these plants die so that when the drought passed the soil would still be full of nutrients to begin again, the Gaffer's reply had been,

"T'aint no point in ripping things up when rain will come tomorrow."

"How do you know, dad?"

"Instinct, lad, with a little help from my bones."

"Aren't you afeared that what you're sensing ain't nothing but your hope that the rain will come?"

"Nay I ain't, lad, for I know that my gut would never see me wrong, not about something I truly cared for. If rain were not coming it would tell me as such even thought I would wish to hear otherwise." The rain had come and Sam had apologised for doubting his father, the Gaffer had smiled and said,

"Just recall this lesson, lad, and hold to it when the garden is yours to keep." Yet though the lesson had been learned well he found himself doubting it again, for his wishes and his hope could easily be playing with his instinct. 

In this doubt and confusion he heard the song of the Ring, sharper now that it was close to the source of its power.  He lifted the object up to himself and stared at it for a moment before he began to speak to it:

"I hate you, that much I'm sure you know and yet ye still try to call me. Ye believe now that I'm alone ye'll tempt me to ye eventually. But I'll tell ye this for nothing, the only thing ye could offer me that I might take is the restoration of the Master so that he might destroy you in my stead.

"Ye see I may be lost but I'll finish what he started, I'll throw you into the pit so that they'll look up and think he did it. I'll kill you so that he can be recalled and remembered, so that he'll live on in tales.

"Ye ain't nothing but false hope and I shall not be called by ye." He released the object then and turned his eyes for a moment back towards the road he had travelled,

"Keep him safe, my lady." He said, uncertainty hard in his heart. 

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T: And that's chapter one. Each chapter is going to be slightly larger than the last and chapters five and six are defiantly going to be the largest, so reason to stick around. A few notes I suppose are in order before I close this,

1.   There shall be a timeline at the end of this monster (in the form of chapter 8.)

2.   The main deviation in this chapter from the book cannon is obviously the lack of appearance of the orc horde while Sam is in Cirith Ungol. They did come, this I must stress. However, because Sam did not dally around at Frodo's side and as Frodo was taken away they found nothing and fought about being paranoid. 

3. Yes the Ring will be having a little more `influence` later on. You'll have to read on to see how much.

Right that's it here I believe. R+R please as I'd like to know how this particular fic is received. 


	2. dreams

Empty tears.

2. Dreams.

T: Right onto chapter two we go. Not mine; if it were mine I'd have had a far slashier ending. Warnings still the same with a turn up of the ANGST. The song used here in this chapter is Tolkien's original concept for `In Western Lands`. (The song Sam sings in the tower of Cirith Ungol. Which I'm miffed that PJ missed out by the way…mumble mumble…essential to the plot…mumble…) Also here I must stress again that my Sam is actually less `chunky` that the other Hobbits, being work toned as he is and yes that is relevant. On words…

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Fatigue had won over his watchfulness and he slept now, curled up into a small ball with one arm slung over his shoulder, pressing the Ring hard to the skin of his chest.

It knew that It was getting closer to Its true Master and It was pressing as hard as It could upon Its new bearer. Yet this new one had a mind like stone, unbreakable as far as ordinary temptation and corruption was concerned. However, as with stone all it took was something extraordinary to work within the cracks and then It would have him. Already It could feel him slipping, could feel the desire pulling at his heart, yet It knew that he was resisting, that his hatred might yet win out. Almost sensing the discomfort of his burden he twitched and cast it away from himself, wishing, even in sleep, to be free of Its menace.

This done he returned to complete sleep and with an unstoppable inevitability he began to dream. Again the retched stench of rotting flesh was in his nose. Again he was almost blind in the darkness. Then a light flamed just before him and he was perceiving his Master alive and bathed in the most beautiful of lights.   He wanted to cry out then so that his Master's attention might turn to him for a moment so that he could see all of him and memorise it for the darker times ahead. More than that, though, he wished to again take a hold of his Master and learn again the comfort and joy of the feel of that dear living skin against his own.

He knew, almost instinctively, that he could not do those things, that he was living again this dark and terrible moment. Yet as the horror un-folded and he found himself again before the cold lifeless corpse of his Master the clarity that had been his in this moment was lost and he found himself lost within indecision. When he at last moved from his Master's side, therefore, it was mach later in the day and as he took the path his ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming his way.

His hand found the Ring against his will and he was plunged into the wraith world. This was the first that he had perceived this other world, having had no need to use the Ring in his reality. Glancing now at the pail spectral half reality, illuminated always by the distant fire of the Eye, he finally comprehended what it was that had begun to take his Master away. 

The Orcs passed so close to him that he could smell the filth of their sweat and the organic stench of the rotting leather of their armour. Yet they did not see him, their eyes blind to the wraith world as they were, thus he watched them continue down the path, back towards…Fear took him, hard and irrational and he knew that he had to go back, had to try and save his poor Master's corpse from their desecration.

He followed, therefore, ever conscious that he might be found or perhaps even betrayed by the Ring. He was close enough, though, to hear the two captains begin their debate and though most was lost to him he caught Shagrat's last sentence and felt it like a blow to his heart. Impassive he remained, listening still to the Orcs talking until their voices receded and he followed as well as he might. 

The chase was a great one and it ended almost as it had began, with him staring impassively at a stonewall. He felt his despair swamping over him before the image faded away. A moment later he was presented with the winding steps of some tower and he knew almost instinctively that it was the tower he had passed by on his way into Mordor. He felt fear, but it was distant, swamped by the keen hope of his discovery. But once he was at the top of the tower, once he was presented with barred entranceways and darkness unmoving all hope was gone again.

Yet it was in that moment, that one almost hopeless moment, that he began to sing, the tune an old recollection of lighter times at Bilbo's side and the words nothing less than the voicing of his soul,

"I sit upon the stones alone;

the fire is burning red,

the tower is tall, the mountains dark;

all living things are dead.

In western lands the sun may shine,

there  flower and tree in spring

is opening, is blossoming;

and there the finches sing.

But here I sit alone and think

of days when grass was green,

and earth was brown and I was young;

they might have never been,

for they are passed, for ever lost,

and hope and daylight die.

But still I sit and think of you;

I see you far away

walking down the homely roads

on a bright and windy day.

It was merry when I could run

to answer to your call,

could hear your voice or take your hand;

but now the night must fall.

And now beyond the world I sit,

And know not where you lie!

O master dear will you not hear

My voice before we die?" 

*

That voice, Sam's sweet voice, lifted in such hopeless despair roused him and he opened his mouth to answer. Yet only a faint rush of sound escaped from his lips and as he fell into almost complete consciousness he realised he was not where he had believed himself to be. 

He was atop a horse, this gathered by the swaying of the night-drenched horizon, his small form kept atop the beast by a thin rope that bound him to the man before him.

An irrational fear caught him that this was a servant of Sauron sent to claim the Ring and he it barer, back to the Dark Lord and he struggled then. This the man sensed and he slowed the horse to a stop and turned to his companion. With the face of the man now presented to him, Frodo recognised him as Damrod, one of Faramir's most loyal soldiers.  He tried again to find voice, but as with before little more than a whisper escaped his lips,

"You are still suffering the after effects of the Beast's sting I fear, little one and it might be a few more minuets before you gain your voice back properly. For the moment therefore we shall have to make do with simple questions. Do you know me?" He enquired. Frodo whispered an affirmative and then nodded his head so as to emphasise the response. "And have you any comprehension of what has happened?" A negative and a shake of the head this time and Damrod sighed, "I had feared that it would take time for the memories to come back to you. Your gangril companion led you into a trap, Frodo, and the Beast that lives within Cirith Ungol found and wounded you."

The words sparked memories in Frodo's mind, the long dark of the tunnel, the worry etched deep into Sam's forehead as the phial had blazed true within his hand and the sudden pain of the spiders bite upon his neck. He raised a hand to touch the wound and doing as such found that the Ring was gone. Something wild must have sparked in his eyes then, for Damrod took hold of his hands and leaned close so that Frodo might see the light of his eyes and be comforted by it.

"When I found you, Frodo, there were signs of a great battle littered all about the floor. Your companion must have fought and won out against the Beast, then believing you dead took up your task. It is his burden now and far beyond the both of us." And though the words were ment as comfort, Frodo found they further distressed him. For what hope would Sam have against the Ring, against the unblinking Eye? It would be only a matter of time before that spirit, that unending fire that had been as succour to Frodo was snuffed out and Sam was no more. Frodo wept then, openly and unabashed, the tears leaching the poison and darkness from his soul until he found his hope again. Found his strength.

"Where…where are we then?" He enquired, his voice still rasped and broken yet stronger now.

"We are close to the walls of Minas Tirith."

"And the day?"

"It is the 14th of March, though it shall soon be the 15th." Damrod replied, one hand pointing out towards the faint dawn.

Silence took them for a moment and then a great horn sounded from their right, and suddenly a voice rose out,

"Ride now, ride now to Gondor." And as a host of men immerged from the woods to their right the dawn broke true and strong.

The horse skittered bellow them and the man turned to face the battle and with a cry of "Gondor" he swept down into the flanks of the Rohirim.

*

As he awoke reality and dream blended for a moment and he found himself looking for his Master's form beside him. Yet he found nothing but the dusty barren terrain of Mordor for comfort and his sudden hope melted back into the iron will of his heart as it was now. 

"T'aint the time to go medlin' your thoughts with might have beens. Master's gone and ye have to do this thing for his sake and as ye last duty to him…" He mumbled to himself. For whatever else the dream had done for him it had hardened his heart against irrational hope and he knew beyond a doubt that when he came to that great volcano, to the very cracks of doom itself, he would the cast the Ring into the fire, even if he had to cast himself in also. For this was his last task and once it was complete he would be dead either way, for his Master was lost and all that he had been was lost with him.

His thoughts were traversing in circles, this he knew, and yet what else was there for it to do? What else was there in this desolate, lifeless place to take his mind from his burden if for but a moment? He felt the draw of the Ring grow then and again he found his hand wondering to its place at his neck.

"No." It was barely more than a whisper and still his hand continued onwards, though slower now. In his mind he could see the power the Ring was promising him, could see the end of hurt, grief and despair.  Yet also he could see his Master in a clarity that had been lost to him since he had taken this path and that vision fuelled the fire long dead in his heart and his will flared suddenly and with a hard broken cry of, 

"NO!" He rent the thing from him with such a force that Its chain came over his head and fell slightly before him. He stared sightlessly at the object for a moment, afraid to touch it again less he succumb to Its lure. Yet the recollection of his Master, that keen image of the one he was doing this for, pushed away that fear and bending forward he took the Thing again into his hand.

"Ye killed him once and ye have tried to take him from me again. But ye have failed and in doing so ye have revealed your plans to me. I prey for your sake that ye never again try such a thing for it would only make ye even more evil in me eyes, for the dishonour it would mean to my Master's name." And as he again placed the chain over his neck he felt, or seemed to feel, a lightening of his burden, as if for the moment the Ring had been of Its power.

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T:  Again I give you notes.

1. Here you can see the original cannon from the book, though it will still be of little help to film viewers as here (and later on) I've assumed that fans of the book will be reading this and as they know what's going on I've stripped away most of the unnecessary dialogue. 

2. Yes I know its more than a days ride to Minas Tirith from Cirith Ungol and that there is no where between the two where Damrod could have picked a horse up but bare with me a moment. Lets assume that Faramir asked his men to keep a few horses hidden in secret locations thought Ilthilien just encase they needed to escape in haste, and lets also assume that some of these horses are going to have come from Rohan lineage. Right now then could it not be possible that Damrod's horse has a little of Shaddowfax in him? And that though perhaps not as fast as his sire he might be able to cross the distance between Minas Tirith and Cirith Ungol in a day? It's just a suggestion mind you.

3. I was in great debate as to whether to actually let the Ring tempt Sam properly, thus I've come up with this almost temptation. Sam knows that what the Ring offers him is useless and more than likely false but it seems to him the only strength he can rely on in this his darkest of moments. Only in recalling the purpose for his continuing struggle (Frodo, if you've forgotten.) does he find his strength again.

Right R+R please.


	3. Pelanor

Empty tears.

3.Pelanor.

T: And chapter three is here. Yes I'm on a roll! Okay not mine, if it were mine then I'd never have asked Sean to put on so much weight. Still the same warnings with a slight increase from the last part of the ANGST…yes it will continue to increase.

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Merry held tight to Dernhelm, his mind racing again and again over the same point. He was hindrance, baggage, to be carted whither he would go and then to die without having drawn sword or ever perceiving his foe.

He wished desperately that he had not insisted that he come upon Frodo's quest, for if he had not set his mind to this path then perhaps Pip would not have come either. Perhaps his Cousin might have been spared the horror he had perceived in the Palantír and the mark it had left upon him. Even now, with his heart racing and death almost assuredly before him, he could see Pip in the moment he had touched that Thing. Could see the life being pulled from that dear body and could feel his own life force flowing with it. Hardest of all he could feel his own sense of failure, for had he not allowed his Cousin the chance to reach that thing? Had he not failed to watch and guard the Took from mark or corruption? And worst of all had he not allowed Gandalf to take Pippin alone to Minas Tirith, without fighting to go with him, without question?

That wrong he would right now if ever he was given chance, for Minas Tirith was before him now, but scant inches away and so was Pippin. All fear of battle could be forgotten in the expectation of that reunion, in the hopes of finding that Pip had not been as harmed as he had believed in the sudden rush of it all.

And then the cry of, "Gondor" from the left, drew all thought of Pippin and of death from him for a moment. For that voice was pitched not in the soft harmony of the Rohirim voice, but the deeper, rougher note that recalled to him Boromir's voice. If the sudden cry of the Man's voice had shocked him, then the echo of the words in a smaller voice froze him. For he knew that soft, educated lilt almost as well as he knew the broad brogue twang of Pippin's voice. Frodo. Yet his Cousin was far away wasn't he? Traversing Mordor with the Ring at his neck and Sam at his side, but there was no mistaking that voice and tensing himself just slightly he asked Dernhelm,

"That cry, my lord, does it come from a Holbytlan? One of my own kind?" He felt the rider move his head, searching out the source of the voice and then he heard the reply,

"He may well be one of your own, Master Meriadoc, but if he is so then is he the finest example I have ever seen of your breed." And Merry knew then that his fears and hopes were confirmed; yet he needed one more answer before he could be sure,

"Is there another with him? Stockier than myself, yet just as fair as the other?"

"No. He rides only with a solider of Gondor." Dernhelm replied. Merry felt his heart freeze, it was odd enough that Frodo was here and not where Merry had thought him to be, but that he was alone, that Sam was not there with him…Something drastic had occurred, that much Merry rationalised, before Dernhelm's horse fell out from under him and his world collapsed into darkness.

*

 Frodo saw the Witch King rise out into the dawn like a shadow and felt again the ice and pain of the wound on his shoulder. What happened next, therefore, was almost as a dream to him. 

A rider rose from his fallen mount and threatened the great Shadow King with his sword. The Dark One's laughter was mocking, yet a moment later his confusion rose, for the rider had removed his helmet and behold! He was revealed as a woman, one of the fairest Frodo had perceived, though her beauty was frozen mid bloom and the sadness in her eyes was marked.

The creature's disbelief was held only for a moment and again he scoffed the rider. Yet his eyes had failed to perceive the small creature moving steadily behind him until it leapt and struck him. That roused both the female rider, who struck the creature hard in the chest, and Frodo who had recognised the figure at last.

"Please, you have to go to him, for he is my Cousin." Frodo pleaded with Damrod.

"I will come as close as I might, but I warn you that the battle is not yet over, little one and it is dangerous yet to linger here."

"So be it. My death shall be of little advantage to Him now." And there was something hollow in the Halflings voice then that he recognised well and wished to destroy as well as he might. Thus Damrod spurred the horse towards the recumbent figure.

When they were just feet from the figure, Frodo dismounted and Damrod followed suit, taking up the reigns of his horse and retaining a respectful silence. He noted, as Dernhelm/Éowyn had before him, that in looks there was little to link these two as kin.

For Frodo was almost elvish in face, the bright morning glory blue of his eyes adding to that impression. But the other had more of a human look to his face, almost as a small child but with a wild fire in his grey eyes that made it painfully clear that he was an adult.

"Merry…Meriadoc." Frodo whispered, the two words obviously the other's name, the first some fond nickname and the other a hard formality even on his kinsman's lips.

The absence in those eyes cleared then and Merry ceased hard to Frodo's arm,

"Frodo, where is the King?"

"What King, Merry, you will have to make it clear to me."

"The King of the Mark, he road a white horse, Frodo and was but a little before us. But he fell…" Merry tailed then and began to weep. Hugging his kinsman hard to him, Frodo surveyed the battle before then until his eyes caught onto the last spasmodic movements of a pail white thing a little before them. Lifting his Cousin to him, he took him to Théoden at last,

"Farewell, master Holbytla!" He said.  "My body is broken. I go now to my fathers. And even in their mighty company I shall not now be ashamed. I felled the black serpent. A grim morn, and a glad day, and a golden sunset!" And words were lost to Merry then and ceasing harder to Frodo for comfort and support he eventually spoke,

"Forgive me, lord, if I broke your command and yet have done no more in your service than weep at our parting." And the King smiled then.

"Grieve not! It is forgiven. Great heart shall not be denied. Live now in blessedness; and when you sit in peace with your pipe, think of me! For never now shall I sit with you in Meduseld, as I promised, or listen to your herb lore " He closed his eyes and Merry broke from his Cousin then to bow at the King's side. Presently he spoke again. "Where is Éomer? For my eyes darken, and I would see him ere I go. He must be King after me. And I would send word to Éowyn. She, she would not have me leave her, and now I shall not see her again, dearer than daughter."

"Lord, lord." Merry began brokenly, "She is." But at that moment there was a great clamour and all about them trumpets were blowing. Merry looked around and saw, at last, that he was in danger of being swept up into battle. His eyes sought and found his Cousin's pinched and dust stained face, searching for comfort, yet there was none to find in that place now. For wrought in Frodo's face was the grim comprehension of death that comes only to one who has seen such things before. The irrevocable taint of war upon the most innocent of hearts.

Wishing desperately not to see that mar upon so loved a face Merry's eyes turned to the great city walls and suddenly he thought of Gandalf. Where was the Wizard in his very hour of need? And had he come might he not have prevented all the harm that had come this day? Yet such grim thought was interrupted by the approach of Éomer and the King stirred again to pronounce his Nephew as his successor, before he passed at last into death. 

In fear Merry watched and listened as Éomer beheld his sister at last, watched the taint take him also into the dark paths of vengeance." Death and the worlds ending" Had been his battle cry as he rode away from Merry's sight and perhaps he was right. Perhaps now was the time to die in the great glory of battle, perhaps now was the time to make as much of a name for himself as he might.

Then again his eyes found Frodo and whether in his greatest darkness he was granted second sight or he had not looked closely before, he could perceive now upon his dear Cousin's face the hard mar of worry and doubt. That worry he recognised and he gained his feet and took Frodo into an embrace,

"It shall all fade, Frodo. I promise." He said, the words empty nothing yet comfort enough for Frodo to spark a smile in his eyes again.

They followed behind those baring the King's body to Minas Tirith upon Damrod's stead, clinging still to the comfort offered in idle words of hope and simple tales that recalled to them fireside stories and a vast green land that once they had named home. It was only the approach of Imrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth, and his pronouncement that Éowyn lived still, that kindled again into Merry's heart true hope and gave Frodo a little ease in his worry for his Cousin's welfare.

The Prince seemed intrigued as they road past him and he raised his hand in a gesture to halt them for a moment.

"Why does a man of Gondor, loyal servant to Captain Faramir, ride with the lost souls of Rohan, Damrod?"

"I come here at the ending of a mission that the Captain requested I uptake and I wished now to give my report to him. Also I bear here a solider wounded within an act of great bravery and in need of the attentions of the medics."

"Both your needs have common goal, for Faramir lies now in the Houses of Healing."

"How has he come to be wounded?"

"It is long tale, Damrod, one that might be better to collect once your charge is in safety."

And Damrod conceded that this was the best course of action and tapping his horse again into motion began the steady assent towards the citadel.

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T: The section from `farewell master Holbytla, ` until `she is` is fairly well word from p131 (three book version) of Return of the King (The battle of the Pelennor fields.) Right that done to the notes…meh I don't think there are any for this chapter, at least not proper ones. So I'll just say R+R shall I?


	4. Healing

Empty tears.

                                                4. Healing.

T: Right first things first, not mine, if it were I'd have done the Grey Havens in an entirely different way. Oh by the way, went to see it again boxing day and now have random Celeborn hatred. Why? He never went to the Valinor and yet there he is  as blatant as day going to Valinor, on the very last ship I may add. Logic dictates, therefore, that he stole Sam's place and deprived us of happy F+S reunion many years later. Right rant over with lets do my favourite thing shall we? Warnings the same with addition of PIPPIN ANGST, yes it is a warning all on its own, why? It's Pippin, sad, do I need explanation? 

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Pippin started as he perceived the figure bundled up within the man's arms and moving from Gandalf's side he got as close as he dared to this stranger before enquiring,

"Who are you, sir? And what ill has befallen my kinsman?" And though he tried his best to retain the composure befitting one of his station, his voice shook and he felt tears stinging at his eyes.

"This is the lord Damrod, who you may trust with your life. As for Merry, he has dared to raise hand against the Nazgŭl Captain and has paid the price for it." And Pippin shook his head, for the reply came from Frodo, who stepped out from behind Damrod's leg and as Merry before him he could little believe that his Cousin was truly here.

Yet when he was again presented with the changes wrought upon his Cousin's face by long journey, heavy burden and worried heart, he knew this could only be reality. He laughed then, the sound high and bright, then he moved with a swiftness befitting the energy bound up within his slight form and caught Frodo hard into a hug. Yet it was his tears, for the relief of his worries and doubts, which drew Gandalf's attention and as Frodo's eyes caught the Wizard's over Pippin's shoulder they regarded one another with sharp disbelief.

Pippin released Frodo then and his Cousin crossed to Gandalf and took up the Wizard's aged hand.

"I thought you lost in the long dark of Moria." He said after a moment.

"Things are not always as they seem my dear boy. For my part I believed you still within Mordor."

"As should I be, yet fate turned against me and I am here now rather than there." And there was something in his voice then that warned that now was not yet the time to talk of this thing with Frodo.

His attention turned, therefore, to Merry and pressing his hand to the Hobbits forehead he began to divine what he could from the Hobbit's eyes,

"He has fallen to the Dark Menace and it begins to blight his mind, begins to turn him against himself."

"But he shall be alright will he not?"

"I can not tell you, master Took, not for sure. But he has strength of spirit and the aid of some of the best Medical minds upon Middle Earth to assure that he shall have the best of chances. 

"I believe you also should submit to the care of the Medics, Frodo. For I sense a heavy burden on your mind and you are evidently weary."

"Neither rest nor quite contemplation shall ease the burden in my heart Gandalf and no sleep shall I get while things remain as they are now." Yet he suffered himself to be led with Merry, Éowyn and Faramir into the care of the Medics. Yet even their skilled minds could do little to destroy the malady that hung over the four and indeed they could little comprehend what ailed the Ring barer without him divulging the secrets of his heart, a thing he was still loathed to do. Hints they had, the mar of knife, sting and hopeless quest.

Still they tended the sick, until such a point that they began to doubt their own skill, began to believe it was they failing the wounded and their hope dwindled.  In this ever-increasing shadow they looked to Gandalf, but found naught there but the worry of an old man for his dearest friend. For the wizard had some comprehension of what weighed Frodo now and knew that unless the Hobbit let the heavy burden of guilt and the harder load of doubt go he would be lost into shadow inescapable.

Hope came to both the wizard and the healers in the form of an old wife, Ioreth, eldest of the healers, who when looking into the fair face of Faramir wept, for all the people loved him. And she said "Alas! If he should die. Would that there were Kings in Gondor, as there were once upon a time, they say! For it is said in the old lore: _The hands of the King are the hands of a healer. _And so the rightful King couldever be known."

And Gandalf, who stood by said: "Men may long remember your words, Ioreth! For there is hope in them. Maybe a King has indeed returned to Gondor; or have you not heard the strange tidings that have come to the city?"

"I have been too busy with this and that to head all the crying and shouting." She answered. "All I hope is that those murdering devils do not come to this House and trouble the sick."

Then Gandalf went out in haste, a sudden hard hope kindled again in his heart.

And thus did Aragorn come to the Houses of Healing, wrapped within the folds of the lórien cloak and stood at Gandalf's side as the Wizard told Éomer that his sister lived still, but was under the spell of some ailment few comprehended. Silent he remained until Imrahil asked that he might be sent for and then he spoke at last so that they might see and know him.

As they passed into the House Gandalf told of the deeds of Éowyn and Meriadoc and of the other of their fellowship who was within the walls of the house. Aragorn desired greatly to see the Ring bearer and to aid him as he might, yet he knew that for the moment at least his aid was better given elsewhere. Thus he went first to the lord Faramir and sat long looking at his face before he enquired,

"Have you _Athelas_ within your stores?"

"I do not know, I am sure, lord." Ioreth answered, "at least not by that name."

"It is also called _kingsfoil_"

"Oh that!" Said Ioreth. "Well if your lordship had named it at first I could have told you. No, we have none of it, I am sure. Why, I have never heard that it had any great virtue; and indeed I have often said to my sisters when we come upon it growing in the woods: `Kingsfoil` I said, ``tis a strange name, and I wonder why it is called so; for if I were a king, I would have plants more bright in my garden. ` Still it smells sweet when bruised, does it not? If sweet id the right word: wholesome, maybe, is nearer." And Aragorn bid her then to fetch the leaf and once she was gone bid the others of the House to make water hot. He then took Faramir's hand in his, and laid the other hand upon the sick man's brow. It was drenched with sweat; but Faramir did not move or make any sign, and seemed hardly to breathe,

"He is nearly spent," He said and a voice to his left replied,

"`Tis no wonder for he has had much to concern him of late and this wound and the Black Breath will have been the stones to bring forth the avalanche." And turning Aragorn gazed into Damrod's eyes for a moment before replying,

"You see much, indeed more than most."

"The lord Faramir is my captain, sir." The solider replied. Aragorn smiled then, a faint smile, yet a sign of contentment none the less and his heart cheered he turned again to his charge. 

At last Bergil came running in, a he bore six leaves on a cloth,

"It is kingsfoil, sir." He said and it seemed to Aragorn that he had wished to say something else, but that the presence of Damrod within the room sealed his lips.

Taking two leaves, he laid them on his hands and breathed on them, and then he crushed them, and straightaway a living freshness filled the room, as if the air itself awoke and tingled, sparkling with joy. And then he cast the leaves into the bowls of steaming water that were brought to him, and at once all hearts were lightened. For the fragrance that came to each was a little like a memory of dewy mornings, of unshadowed sun in some land of which the fair world in Spring is itself but a fleeting memory. But Aragorn stood up as one refreshed, and his eyes smiled as he held a bowl before Faramir's dreaming face.

"Is it done?" Damrod enquired after a moment.

"It is. But I ask that you do not tax him over quickly." And Faramir stirred then and gazing a moment at Aragorn spoke,

"My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?"

"Walk no more in shadow, but awake!" Said Aragorn. "You are weary. Rest a while and take food, and then I think your man has news for you." And Faramir glanced at Damrod then and nodded,

"I will gladly hear your news, Damrod, then we must act, for I can not rest now that the King had returned."

"Farewell then for a while," Said Aragorn, "I must go to others who need me." And he left the chamber then alone, for Damrod, Beregond and his son remained behind.

His time with Éowyn was bitter and he came with heavy heart to Merry's room. There he found Pippin, dressed in the regalia of Gondor and a hard worry in his heart.

"Do not be afraid," Said Aragorn. "I have come to him in time." And he repeated the procedure of crushing the Athelas and casting it into the steaming water. Then he called the Hobbit's name and Merry stirred and said,

"I am hungry. What is the time?"

"Past supper-time now." Said Pippin, "Though I daresay that I could bring something, if they will let me."

"They will indeed," Aragorn turned at the sound of that voice and was greeted with an evidently weary Frodo. "And anything else that this Rider of Rohan may desire, if it can be found in Minas Tirith, where I hear his name is in honour."

"Good!" Said Merry. "Then I should like supper and a pipe so that I might think of him and his kindness. Then I would dearly love to hear your tale, Cousin."

"That request, I fear, must be refused, for the moment at least." Frodo replied and Aragorn took up one of his small hands and looked deep into his eyes.

"Your road has been hard, that much I already know. Yet you are weighed down with fresh burden both physically and mentally. Will you not share the load?"

"Not this day, Strider. For you have spent yourself in the tending of others and Merry has not yet fully gained his strength.

"Then in the first light of dawn tomorrow we shall sit in as much contentment as we can and weave together the many threads of this tale."

*

In the fair dawn of the next morn Gimli and Legolas came with Aragon into the Houses of Healing. Long they talked with Merry, Pippin and Damrod, who shared his part in the tale with a great confidence until he reached the pass of Cirith Ungol, where at last he faltered.

"It should not be I telling of what I saw within that place, but Frodo. For what occurred there is I suspect the heart of his new burden."

"That at least is true, Damrod and you have keen sight to observe such a thing. Thus I tell all that I can, for some things even I can only construe from what Damrod has told me.

"I came with Sam to the entrance of that dark place, to the very layer of Evil. But no hint did we have of what would come before us, of the trap Gollum was setting us but for the stench of rotting flesh. Within the walls of that tunnel was darkness of a such that I have never seen before, for it was not the flat darkness of Moria but a living darkness full of malice and corruption.

"Ever as we travelled up the tunnels length we felt a malice beating at us, making our steps slow and adding more weight to our already weary bodies. That malice came from a great spider, of whom I can tell you little."

"She is…was…Shelob, last and greatest of the Ungoliant's offspring. Death is her lifeblood and darkness her waist. Ever has the threat of her has been present within the pass of Cirith Ungol within my lifetime at least." Damrod supplied. For the first time Frodo found himself wondering at Damrod's age, for he recalled that Faramir had himself known little about the threat of Cirith Ungol and had given the impression that only those more mature in years knew the truth of that menace. Frodo knew that if he had the time he would ask the man about this and other mysteries, such as the keenness of his second sight. For now though there was a tale to finish.

"We drove her away with the Lady's light, but even that was as little deterrent to her and as we broke free finally into the faint light of Mordor she came behind me and I fell into dreaming.

"Damrod has told me that she was gone when he arrived and that there were signs of a struggle all about me. The rest of the tell is simple enough to piece together then, Sam fought and won against her and came again to my side."

"The Beast had dosed Frodo with a sedative of sorts and to the uninitiated eye he would have seemed dead."

"Thus it was for Sam and with me lost to him and believing as I did that we were all that remained of the Fellowship he took up my task. He will be in Mordor now alone while I…I am here in safety, surrounded by all those I believed lost." And Frodo lifted his head then towards the dark shadow of Mordor upon the horizon, loss evident in his eyes.

"There is no need for guilt, Frodo, for fear,"

"Is there not, Aragorn? It was my burden, my task. And now while I linger here in freedom from It he draws ever closer to its influence. It would destroy me to lose Sam to It, Strider. I cannot let it happen, I will not." And Frodo's paper-thin control tore at last and he wept without cessation. Pippin moved from his place at Merry's side and taking his Cousin into his arms said,

"If any one can do it, Frodo, it shall be Sam. You may count on that."

"If he dies it shall be my fault, Pip."

"This is the way fate intended it I think, little one." Damrod said, "Your companion was of a bread that I have never seen before even in the world of men and I believe that it lies within him to destroy the Ring spell and finish your task. If only so that you are preserved in tales and thus honoured always. Such devotion is rarely found."

"Yes, I know." And by the absence in his voice his companions knew that he had yet to destroy all of his guilt or hard burden.

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T: Yes I know I said this would be huge but I got myself confused by having two chapter fours in my notebook. The next chapter was the one I was thinking of. From `taking two leaves` until `his dreaming face` is a direct quote.

Only one note here on the Frodo angst. He is experiencing here survivors guilt and a little confusion, after all was he not told `if you can not do this task, no one can`? And yet it seems that Sam will complete this task in a much more impressive way than Frodo did.

Mount Doom next people. 

R+R


	5. Doom

Empty tears.

                                             5. Mount Doom.

T: And thus we reach at last the chapter most of you out there have been waiting for. Yes it will be dramatic. Yes it will be large and no the reunion isn't in this chapter. Why? Because I'm mean like that J. Okay moving on, not mine, if it were mine Damrod would be much more evident in cannon. Frodo and Merry's song is `track of words` from the folk band `show of hands`, Sam's song is, as most will know, Pippin's song from the movie version of ROTK which fits very well into this situation. Warnings remain the same.

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It was late afternoon on the sixteenth of March and Sam was sat up on the heights of the Morgai, his eyes fixed on the path before him.

He had travelled ceaselessly once he had recovered from the Ring's test, sparing no thought for food or water and fuelled only by his love for his Master. Yet he was now faced with barren desert between himself and his goal, with nothing for cover but the invisibility offered by the Ring and in this place it would not be cover, but rather a way of assuring that the enemy knew exactly where he was. And aimless all drive to move forwards had fled for the moment at least. 

"What would you do, Sir, if you were here I wonder?" He mumbled to himself and almost he could hear a reply of: "The best that I can, Sam" upon the air. And though it was nothing more than simple hopelessness Sam knew, somehow, that it was sound advice, for what else could he do but his best?

Empowered he took a moment to drink a little of his water and consume the smallest of amounts of food before he set out his path in his mind. Evidently the fractured and broken nature of the land to his North made any passage that way near impossible, thus his only choice was to trace back his path through the valley.

He came without incident to the Castle Durthang, from there he followed the watercourse back to its source and re-filling his water bottle he began again on the path.

 Simple thoughts entertained his mind as he continued onwards, thoughts of his Master and of the idle discussions they had had while walking the road. He wondered, despite himself, if Frodo would find comfort in him as he was now. For all the simplicity of his stout Hobbit heart had begun to bleed away into the seriousness of his path and he felt now very much unlike himself

Such a weight It had become again upon his mind and he felt weary now beyond the word. Yet he had to fight It, had to continue this path for Frodo's sake, for the Shire's sake, for the sake of Middle Earth and most importantly to prove to himself that he could be more than a simple minded gardener.

The Ring, however, had been stirred; aware somehow that this was the best chance it had of taking this Hobbit just as It had taken the other. This would be great victory, though once achieved It would come again to the hand of its maker and this small achievement would seem as dust to all that It would do in that position.  Just a moment more or doubt and It would have him.

Just a moment more.

*

"A part of me walks that path with him. Feels the burden still about my neck." Frodo said as he clutched at the space that until recently the Ring had occupied.

"That is because you have not yet truly relinquished it to him, perhaps you never shall. As to walking the path with him, of course you do, you are bound together after all." Merry remarked, his eyes never lifting from the distant movement of the departing guards.

"I can not say anything for sure in these uncertain times, Merry, but I know Pippin and I assure you that he will do all he can to come back to you."

"Perhaps." Merry replied. Frodo recognised the tone in his Cousin's voice, recognised it and hated it for the changes it ment in Merry's mentality and his future life. 

"Merry." He said, the word a hidden enquiry also.

"It is my fault, Frodo, all my fault. Pip is like a brother to me, no more than a brother, and now for my foolhardy need for adventure I will lose him." Merry said, his eyes falling closed as he spoke. "If I had just stayed with him when Wormtongue dropped the Palantír, not let him away from my side then he would not have had to face the enemy alone."

"Would you have refused him his destiny Merry? Through that one event has his life been shaped. It was hard yes, but he has learned from it and grown."  

"Yes and it is that wisdom I fear, for what if he decides that he has grown now beyond the need for me?"

"It will never happen." Frodo said as he moved to stand by Merry's side. Something of his Cousin's spirit must have kindled then and as his eyes opened again there was a faint joy within them again.

"I know. It is just that I wish I could be there with him rather than kicking idle around here for the sake of a moments stupid heroism."

"We can not choose the path set out for us, Merry. The best we can do is let fate move as it will and trust that their tracks shall turn them back towards ours." And that was it for the moment, the pair seeking their comfort in the silence just for a second, rather than in the idleness of words. 

"How fares the Quest then, Frodo?" Merry enquired suddenly, his wounded arm rising to loop over his Cousin's shoulder.

"It stands at a crossroads, waiting for something to push it either one way or another. The Ring will take this indecision and push it to Its favour, It will find Sam's weakness and turn him mad through it."

"Then we must do as we can to push the Quest our way, to help Sam find the strength of his heart again." And Merry moved a little from Frodo then and once he had cleared his throat began to sing a simple tune seemingly formed together in his sharp mind,

"I lay a track of words before you,

you can walk them for a while,

they might bring some comfort to you,

when you face the final mile,

maybe you'll smile." He paused then, looking to Frodo with a plea clear in his eyes. Frodo nodded and moving back to Merry's side he reached out for his Cousin's hand and allowed his voice to join in the song,

" You can choose a word like shelter,

here's another word like rest,

I'll place words like ` safe haven` on the pass you know best,

and these words will caress. 

" I lay a track of words before you,

so let them be your guide,

 and lead you to the right turnings when you've lost the way inside, 

`cause I know how you've tried.

"I lay a track of words before you,

and every thought that ever stirred,

deep in you heart are quiet hillsides,

and every breeze you've ever heard,

is a silent trail."

*

Whether some divine being was giving him a sign or whether his fragile sensibilities had failed him at last, he could not tell. Yet no matter the cause that was Merry's voice on the wind and if that were not wonder enough for him he could hear Frodo's voice also, ridden with guilt, yet alive. Fixing his eyes on Oroduin's flame he began again his journey, a song whispered now on his breath.

"Home is behind, the world ahead,

and there are many paths to tread,

through shadow, to the edge of night,

until the stars are all alight.

" This dense shadow, 

cloud and shade,

all shall fade,

all shall fade." And something in his face softened then and he was again no more than Samwise, son of Hamfast, high out of his depth and lost deep in a burden too large and too complicated for him to bear.

Yet bare it he would, no matter the consequences to himself. Luck would be his only ally now, for this last change had cowed the Ring from him completely and it was only as a faint power now against his neck. Luck he had though, for he had come in his mindless travelling to the very plains of Gorgoroth, the last leg of his journey. It looked all but hopeless until he saw that all the land before him was pocked with small potholes, which would supply him with the cover necessary to continue on towards the mountain unseen by the ever-vigilant Eye.

Three days he moved as such, flitting from hollow to hollow, pressed always by the force of the Eye. Yet he was not yet the focus of that menace for it was now the 19th of March and a great host of men, led by Aragorn, son of Arathorn, was marching towards the Black Gates.  But a burden still was the Eye and with both the ever-increasing weight of the Ring and the extra weight of the gear he carried he found his pace reduced almost to a crawl.

And so on the 23rd he made the hard decision to cast away all but Sting and his little box into one of the many fissures that marked the place. The sound of his pans echoing into the distance hurt his heart, for they were not only simple cooking implements, but a little of the Shire to bring light to him even in this shadow. This task done he abandoned all attempt at concealment and headed as straight as he right to the foot of the mountain and to his goal.

Yet where was his goal? Ever on his lonely path he had set his sights on reaching the mountain itself, giving no thoughts to the `cracks of doom`. Shaking his head he mumbled to himself,

"Naught for it but to hope whatever has kept you alive on this path will see that ye are in trouble and give you a guide." And the words were a simple hope to set his heart and steady his nerve now that his end was so close.

And so as he began to climb the thing at last he went only as his hear told him to, inch by painful inch, until he came to an evident path. Pausing to thank whatever it was that was watching over him, he stepped up onto the path and turned to the East. 

Here at last he had his first and only glance at the top of the tower of Barad-Dûr and the flash of flame that was the Eye itself. He felt himself freeze at that glance, fearing that he had been seen at last and recognised for what he was and what it was that he carried. Yet after a few moments he realised that the eye was not for the moment focused on him, but turned away to some other distant foe.

Thus satisfied he began to follow the path upwards, discovering quickly that it was not the easier climb that he had expected, but had the fires that had poured forth from the mountain as he had walked his fist steps within Mordor not taken the course they had it might yet have been a more taxing climb. 

The path turned sharply westward after a spell and it was here that Gollum decided to spring onto him at last. They fought hard, but Gollum was not what once he had been and his opponent had not only the greater strength, but also the fire of anger to increase that strength two fold. Thus but moments after the attack he threw Gollum from him and gaining his feet he pulled Sting from its scabbard.

"Back, back you filthy thing." He began, the words acting as a way to calm his anger for the moment. "Away from my path! You have killed my Master and by rights I should kill you. But to do as such would not bring him back and thus would do me no good. Yet if you come again between me and this final task I shall cast you myself into the fire." Gollum raised up onto his feet then and pacing backwards a few steps turned and fled away down the path. Recalling his task he gave no more heed to the creature, but instead continued up the path.

*

The path climbed on. Soon it bent again and with a last eastward course passing in a cutting along the face of the cone and came to a dark door in the Mountain's side, the door of the Sammath Naur. Through this he past into heat and darkness and by the light of the inferno made his way to the Crack Of Doom.

Here he took the Ring up into his hand and glancing at it for the briefest of moments said simply,

"For Frodo." Before he cast it into the air. At the moment the Ring left his hand an object slammed into his back and as he fell to the floor his fingers caught the Ring and it too fell onto the floor.

There was a great pain in his head as he rose again to his feet and blood was coursing now from a cut to his temple, yet all this was washed away in the anger of the moment. Drawing Sting he moved towards Gollum unseen, for all the creatures thought and attention was bent now in the object clutched within Its hands. Thus Gollum was defenceless against the strong and fatal blow dealt to him from Sting's blade. 

Once assured that the creature was indeed dead he lifted It and the object clutched still within Its hands and cast them down into the fire.

The Mountain burst forth in a torrent of flame and for a moment he considered remaining in that place, to die in the flames and end out his journey that way. Yet something stirred deep in his heart and despite himself he retreated out onto the threshold of the Sammath Naur. 

There he viewed the end of Sauron's reign and the ruin of the Nazgûl. Perceiving this his hope filtered back into his heart and he moved down the pathway, his mind thinking on the tales that would be spun about this day.

"The tale of Frodo and the Ring of Doom." He mumbled to himself. There was little belief in his heart that he would hear that tale, but that did not concern him. His Master would live immortal and he…

He would go as far as he could back to the place he had left his Master and perhaps if fate was with him he could lie down and die at Frodo's side.

And even as he thought this he was over come with the heat and the wariness of his limbs and he fell into unknowing darkness.

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T: Okay only one direct quote here I believe, from `the path climbed on` until ` Naur`. Please note that Sam has been hurt in this last section, it is important for later chapters. 

Two worries I had here with this chapter. The first as to whether to let Sam kill Gollum while he was defenceless, but after a great deal of thought I've decided to let it ride, Sam's hand being driven here by anger. The second was how Gandalf's prediction that Gollum would have some use before the end would pan out ending the Ring this way. Hopefully I'll cover that in the next few chapters!

Also I hope some of you have noticed that Sam is never actually referred to as such in his little bits. This is because he is not entirely himself while walking through Mordor, clever no?

R+R For the sake of naked Dom…hmmmmmmmmmm.


	6. Meetings

Empty tears.

                         6. Many meetings.

T: Right the next two chapters are quite big, being that they condense six chapters of the book down into two here. Also I would like to say that due to the doubling up of chapters in my notes the timeline will be chapter nine and not chapter eight. LOTR is not mine, if it were I'd have had more realistic battle injuries. This is the slash chapter at last people and so those who have been comfortably reading due to lack of slash might want to go elsewhere as its fairly evident here. Warnings the same with the addition of extreme AU and one other unexpected nastiness that I can't mention as it is a surprise. 

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When Sam awoke he found himself wrapped in soft sheets in what seemed to be a small beach glade. A scent was in the air that recalled to his weary mind his time in Ilthilien and the little fire he had lit on that sunny bank.

"If only it were naught but a dream." He muttered as he sat himself up, "Yet if it were not a dream then where am I?"

And a voice spoke softly behind him: "In the land of Ilthilien, and in the keeping of the King; and he awaits you." With that Gandalf stood before him, robed in white, his beard gleaming like pure snow in the dappled sunlight. "Well Master Samwise how do you feel?" He said.

But Sam laid back finding no words in his sudden joy and bewilderment. At last he gasped: "Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?"

"A great shadow has departed." Said Gandalf, and then laughed, and the sound was like music. The thought came to Sam then that he had not heard laughter or any other noise of friendly company for a time innumerable and found that he was weeping for the joy of the sound.

His tears ceased and laughing at last, high and clear he sprang from his bed.

"How do I feel?" He cried. "I don't know how to say it. I feel, I feel"- he waved his arms in the air-"I feel like spring after winter, and sun on the leaves; and like trumpets and harps and all the songs I have ever heard!" He stopped, his heart recalling suddenly the last task he had set himself and his joy faded into grief, "But it makes no matter how I feel." He said "Nor if the King does indeed wait for me. For one task I have yet to do, Gandalf. Though what that task is I do not wish to say."

"I already know what the task is, Samwise and I ask you to set it aside fro the moment, until all that you are yet ignorant to has been revealed to you."

"I will not wait, sir, this you should understand if you do indeed know what my task is. For what if some foul beast were to mar his unchanging beauty while I stayed here in idleness? All for some petty revenge. No I will go to him and ensure that his body is buried in as much honour as I can give it."

"He has been brought here, Samwise." And this seemed all Gandalf wished to tell him, though the tone of his voice set a thrill in Sam's heart. 

"Then I shall suffer to remain away from him just a little longer." He thought back on Gandalf's words a moment and then enquired, "Ye talked of a King, perhaps you would tell me which King you mean?"

"The King of Gondor and lord of the western lands," Said Gandalf. "And he has taken back all his ancient realm. He will ride soon to his crowing, but he waits for you."

"Why he would wish to see me I do not know, but I will come with you once you have told me what it is I am to wear."

"The clothes that you wore on your way to Mordor." Said Gandalf. "No silks or linens, nor any armour or heraldry could be more honourable. But later I will find some other clothes perhaps."

Then Gandalf held out his hands to him, and he saw that one shone with light. "What have you got there?" Sam cried. "Can it be?"

"Yes, I have brought you two treasures, your box and your Master's light.  You will be glad to have these again."

When he was washed and clad, and had eaten a light meal, he followed Gandalf. He stepped out of the beach grove in which he had lain, and passed out onto a long green lawn. Behind him he could hear the sound of falling water and following the course of the stream he perceived an archway of trees.

As he came to the opening in the wood, he was surprised to see knights in bright mail and tall guards in silver and black standing there. He paused then and shook his head,

"No praise from these men shall I take, sir, I wish this to be Frodo's victory alone and thus his name and his body they honour."

"This I know, Samwise, yet your actions too deserve some praise, even if the final victory is Frodo's alone. Thus I bid you suffer this ceremony which will honour both your dead and your Master's story." Gandalf replied. 

There was truth in his words, for as Sam came out into the ranks of men they began to sing praise not only to his name but to his Master's also. Once they were through the ranks and at last before the throne, Sam gazed in wonder at he that sat on the throne and exclaimed,

"Strider, or I'm still asleep!"

"Yes Sam, Strider" Said Aragorn. "It is a long way, is it not, since Bree, where you did not like the look of me? A long way for us all, but yours has been the darkest road."

And then to Sam's surprise and hard protestation Aragorn bowed his knee before him and taking him by the hand, he led him to the throne and setting him upon it, he turned to the men and captains who stood by and spoke, so that his voice rose over the host crying.

"Praise them with great praise." And when the glad shout had swelled up and died away again, to Sam's final and complete satisfaction and pure joy, a minstrel of Gondor stood forth, and knelt, and begged leave to sing. And behold! He said:

"Lo! Lords and nights and men of valour unashamed, Kings and Princes, and fair people of Gondor, and Riders of Rohan, and ye sons of Elrond and Dwarf, and great hearts of the Shire, and all free folk of the west, now listen to my lay. For I will sing to you of Frodo and the Ring of Doom."

And when Sam heard those words he knew that his journey and great task had been completed, and to himself he mumbled,

"The greatest of my hopes has come true," And he wept.

And all the great host wept with him, their tears purging away the scars of war and easing their hearts at last. Amid their grief and hearts easing the voice of the minstrel rose up as clear as dawn and the host quietened so that they might listen to the tale.

*

And at last; as the Sun fell from the noon and the shadows of the trees lengthened he ended. "Praise them with great praise!" He said and knelt. And then Aragorn stood up and all the host arose, and they passed to pavilions made ready, to eat and to drink and to make merry while the day lasted.

Sam was lead apart and brought to a tent and there his old raiment was taken off, but folded and set aside with honour; and clean linen was given to him.

Then Gandalf came and looked for a moment into Sam's eyes then he said,

"One great wish you had before this day truly began; to see again your Master. This I grant to you now, though perhaps you shall find it more than you have hoped." And again Sam felt the thrill in his heart and as Gandalf moved slightly to his right that thrill burst into hard wonderment. For there in the entranceway of the tent was stood Frodo, his skin pinched here and there with their hard journey and the shadow still in his eyes, yet he lived and the wonder of it brought Sam again to tears.

Frodo moved then at last and caught his companion hard into a hug,

"Why weep, Sam, at the end of it all?"

"Oh Master, Master. I believed ye lost to me." He replied, his tears sated at last by wild joy.

"I will never go where you can not one day follow, Samwise Gamgee." And Frodo released him then and went to move away, but Sam would not suffer such distance between them so soon after he has gained it back and thus he caught his Master's hand into his own and held it fast.

"You shall have time later to continue this reunion, but for the moment I fear that you must go to the King's feast." Gandalf said.

"Then let us go as we are, without the adornment of regiment we have not earned." Frodo said.

"If it is you will then so be it," Gandalf said and bowing once at their feet he went with them to the great feast. They sat at the King's table with King Éomer of Rohan; and there also was Gimli and Legolas.

And Frodo smiled as the wine was brought by two small esquires: One clad in the silver and sable of the guards of Minas Tirith and with his left arm wrapped in a cast and suspended up in a sling, and the other in white and green. As they drew close Sam exclaimed,

"Why look, Mr. Frodo! Look here! Well if it isn't Pippin. Mr Peregrin Took I should say, and Mr. Merry! How they have grown! Bless me! But I can see there's more tales to tell than my own."

"There are indeed," Said Pippin turning towards him. "And we shall begin telling them as soon as this feast is ended. Perhaps I may even let you know how I gained this war wound, that is if you are not as close as Frodo about your journey before you were separated."

"Do not listen to him, Sam, he thinks everyone should respect him now that he is to be named among the brave warriors who set out against Sauron's horde."

""Indeed, and as a brave warrior Master Pippin should attend to his duties rather than spread bluster." Gandalf remarked.

"I was just about to say that we have duties to attend to, being of Gondor and the Mark as we are." Pippin stated. Gandalf laughed at that and the pair retreated back to their duties, laughter glinting in their eyes.

At last the glad day ended; and when the sun was gone and the round moon rode slowly above the mists of the Anduin and flicked through the trees the Hobbits sat together to share their tales.

"All the great host of the west rode out to the black gates of Mordor, all with the intent of keeping Sauron's eye from your journey, Sam. I rode with them in representation of the Shire folk, watching silent as Aragorn claimed back all that was his.

"When we came to the black gates, a small group of us broke from the hoard to present ourselves to Sauron, enemies all of his black heart. It was all tension as the heralds cried for the lord of the black land to come forth so that justice might be wrought upon him. Silence met those cries and it was only as we turned to leave that answer was given in the form of a great roll of drums.

"He that headed the embassy of the Dark Tower was dressed all as a dark rider, yet man he was `mouth of Sauron` he named himself. He beheld our numbers and faces and then laughed,

`Is there none here with the authority to treat with me? ` He asked. `Or indeed with the wit comprehend me? Not you at least. ` He mocked, turning to Aragorn with scorn. `It needs more to make a King than a piece of elvish glass, or a rabble such as this. Why any brigand of the hills can show as good a following! `

"Aragorn gave no reply, but merely took the others eye and held it and for a moment they locked in battle. Yet soon, even though Aragorn made no move to his weapons the other shrank back as if from a blow. `I am herald and ambassador, and may not be assailed! ` He cried.

"`Where such laws hold. ` Said Gandalf, ` It is also the custom for ambassadors to use less insolence. But no one has threatened you. You have naught to fear from us until your errand is done. But unless your Master is come to new wisdom, then with all his servants you will be in great peril. ` Our enemy seemed to have little love for Gandalf and named him `grey beard` and professed to know what it was that we had plotted.

"Fear took everyone then, yet I knew it in my heart that you lived still, Sam, indeed I had a sudden image of you walking up a slope, a grimness in your face that I had never seen before."

"And so it felt,  Master Pippin, as I climbed that last stretch, as though something hard had taken me over for a while. Yet this is your tale for the moment and I shall let you continue."

"My belief that you were alive and that the enemy knew very little indeed was solidified when this mouth of Sauron began to talk of the elf warrior that we had sent into Mordor. Gandalf played to this false knowledge, warning that our fierce elf warrior had been spying for our sakes and that our forces were to use the knowledge attained as advantage in our assault on Mordor."

`Little good shall that advantage be to you, ` the messenger remarked before he fell back and the trap was sprung. The captains mounted again and I took my place amongst Prince Imrahil's men, my heart beating fast and my mind ready for battle. Nazgûl fell upon us from the sky and a great host of Orcs poured forth. Yet they could not go far, their progress hindered by the mires that lay before the hills.

"One last trick they had and from out of their ranks came a great company of hill trolls. Yet no fear was in my heart and as the great troll-chief came my way I took him down with one stroke of my sword. As he fell his great hammer came down hard upon my arm, breaking it in twain and pinning me down to the floor.

"I thought this might be my end and I dearly wished to see Merry one last time. And then a cry of `The Eagles are coming! ` Broke into my grim thoughts and there in the sky above me were the great birds themselves. And to the wonder of it all the Nazgûl turned and fled towards Mordor, sensing I supposed their Master's doom close to hand.

"I heard Gandalf cry out `stand, men of the west! Stand and wait! This is the hour of doom. ` And the ground shook then, and the black gate was brought to ruin. The last I heard before the pain of my wound and wariness caught up with me was Gandalf saying,

`The realm of Sauron is ended; the Ring bearers have fulfilled their quests. `"

"Gimli found him not long after that and brought him back to this camp upon Cormallen. I was called to come to his side for comfort as they set his arm and then Gandalf returned with you in his charge and bid that Frodo too was sent for."

"Well that is quite a tale I must say, and what bravery you have shown, Master Pippin, in facing up to something far greater in size than yourself." Sam said.

"No greater bravery than yourself, Sam, for Damrod informs us that your own foe was at least twice your size."

"Aye she was at that, but it were not bravery that drove my sword, but anger, wild fierce anger." And ceasing again Frodo's hand he began his own tale from the moment he had heard Gollum's plans until the point where his strength had failed him at last.

Tears were in the Hobbits eyes as Sam finished his tale, though there was also some emotion burning now in Frodo's eyes and without word Merry and Pippin stood and excused themselves from their friend's sides.

"Oh, Sam" Frodo said eventually, one hand raising unbidden to touch his friend's face, "So much sacrifice and so much pain all so that I would be recalled in songs. I do not deserve such selflessness, or such friendship as yours, for I would not have been able to do this thing, even at the bitter end."

"You would have found a way, sir. As for selflessness, it were naught but me duty to ye."

"Duty, Samwise Gamgee?" Frodo enquired. Sam looked at his Master then, for there was a heat to his voice that Sam had never heard before. Unbidden he pulled Frodo close to him and mumbling simply,

"Me dear," He caught Frodo up into a kiss.

Eventually the pair separated, though neither went farther than the stretch of their arms,

"All I ever wished for was to find ye alive, Frodo love. And all through the long darkness of me road to Mordor it was that hope, that dream of seeing you that kept me free of the Ring. Seeing you now is my reward and that I can tell you that I love you free of doubt is more than I ever could have wished for."

"Yet it is the least you deserve, my dearest, truest, Samwise. Thus I tell you that I love you also and hope that the truth of those words will be more of a payment of my dept to you."

"You owe me nothing, love." Sam replied.

"Then you shall owe me nothing either." Frodo paused and seeing the darkening of the sky he remarked, "The hour is late and we have both been under the careful tending of Aragorn and must assure, therefore, that we get some rest and thus do not undo his work." And the pair walked as far as they might together and once they had parted they retired to their beds and fell into a deep sleep.

*

When the sunlight woke Sam from his slumber, he felt again the great pain in his head that had come upon him in the heart of Orodruin and when he opened his eyes he found that all had dimmed about him and it seemed now to him that he was looking at the world through smoked glass.

Gaining his feet he made his way into the great encampment and after asking one of the guards patrolling the area where he might find Aragorn he headed towards a large tent set slightly away from the rest.

Tapping gently on the canvas door he enquired,

"Might I have a moment, Strider?"

"Of course, Master Gamgee." Came the reply. Stepping inside the tent with his sight as it was now was as entering almost complete darkness, though he could just perceive Aragorn as a faint shape sat behind what might have been a small desk.

"How can I help you?" Aragorn enquired.

"I don't rightly know if you can, sir, but it is better to be safe than sorry as my Gaffer always says. Ye see when I awoke this morning and after I came too once Gollum had jumped me again I have had a pain in my head and today also my sight seems to have faded slightly. Now it might just be sleep addling up me mind, but I thought it best to come to ye."

"You are not imagining things," Aragorn replied after a moment, the pace of the words telling that he was choosing them very carefully. "The blow that you received within Orodruin has done lasting damage to your brain, thus the pain you are experiencing. Also I fear that this damage is what is affecting your sight and that the best we can hope now is that this is as bad as it shall get.

"However, I think it best you prepare for the fact that you might lose your sight altogether."

"And there is naught I can do?"

"I fear not."

"Well then it seems Gollum has gained a victory after all."

"It may yet be no more than it is, Sam"

"I know, sir, and it is kind of ye to hold out hope for it to be as such, but I think that its best I except things at their worst, don't you?" He enquired. Aragorn had no reply for this and after exchanging a few simple pleasantries Sam bid himself to be excused and headed now for the small tent that was the lodgings of the other Hobbits.

*

 The news of Sam's infliction was met with grim faces and an entirely typical response from Pippin, 

"We will have to make sure you enjoy what is left of your sight. Plant beautiful memories into your head to recall in the later darkness."

"Pip is quite right, Sam, for it would not do for your last memories of your sight were the desolate planes of Mordor." Merry remarked.

"Begging your pardon, Master Merry, but that shall not be the case even if my sight were lost to me even in this moment." Sam replied. This response was met with curiosity from both Brandybuck and Took and with only a glance to Frodo, Sam gave up the story of the night before.

"Indeed that will be fair remembrance for the both of you and indeed for both myself and Pip for it will ease my heart to know that you have one another to fight away the darker times."

"But it would still not hurt for Sam to see some of the beauty about us, especially as some of the landscape about us played a part in the lighter stretch of your journey together." Pippin said.

Both Frodo and Sam agreed with this view and after Merry and Pippin had gone on duty they walked out into Ilthilien and found again the familiar pathways, taking time now in idleness to enjoy the beauty about them.

Meanwhile the host was preparing for the return to Minas Tirith. The weary rested and the hurt were healed, for some has laboured and fought much with the remnants of the Easterlings and Southerons, until all were subdued.  And latest of all, those returned who had passed into Mordor and destroyed the fortresses in the north of the land.

But at last when the month of May was drawing near the captains of the west set out again; and they sailed from Cair Andros down Anduin to Osgiliath; and there they remained for one day; and the day after they came to the green fields of the Pelennor and saw again the white towers under tall Mindolluin, the City of the men of Gondor, last memory of westernesse, that had passed through the darkness and fire to a new day. 

And there in the midst of the fields they set their pavilions and awaited the morning; for it was the eve of May and the King would enter his gates with the rising of the sun.

With the dawn the bells began to ring and all the banners broke and flowed in the wind; and all upon the white tower of the citadel the standard of the stewards bright argent like snow in the sun, baring no charge or device, was raised over Gondor for the last time.

Now the captains of the west led their host towards the city, and folk saw them advance line upon line, flashing and glinting in the sunrise and flashing like silver. And so they came before the gateway and halted a furlong from the walls. As yet no gates had been set up again, but a barrier was lain across the entranceway to the city, and there stood men at arms in the silver and black with long swords drawn. Before the barrier stood Faramir the Steward and Húrin warder of the keys, and the other captains of Gondor and the lady Éowyn of Rohan with Elfhelm the marshal and many knights of the mark; and upon either side of the gate was a great press of fair people in raiment of many colours and garlands of flowers. 

Amid the great company walked the Hobbits, Merry and Pippin walking with Gandalf their heads held high and pride writ on their faces. Frodo and Sam walking with Aragorn, Frodo's head turned just slightly towards Sam's and his mouth whispering constantly of the world around them, for Sam's sight was last entirely to him now. They stood quiet as Faramir and Aragorn went through the ceremony of admittance and it was only when Aragorn bid the Ring Bearers take the crown to him that they stirred. Frodo taking one of Sam's hands and leading him to Faramir and then guiding his hands to the crown. They bore it to Gandalf; and Aragorn knelt, and Gandalf set the white crown upon his head and said:

"Now come the days of the King, and may they blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!"

And as he rose his care and long hardships washed from him to reveal him as he was; a faint echo of the Kings of old. And then Faramir cried:

"Behold the King!" 

And in that moment all the trumpets were blown, and the King Elessar went forth and came to the barrier and Húrin of the keys thrust it back; and amid the music of harp and of viol and of flute and the singing of clear voices the Kings passed through the flower-laden streets, and came to the citadel, and entered in; and the banner of the tree and the stars was unfurled upon the topmost tower, and the reign of King Elessar was began, of which many songs have told.

Thus Aragorn's great wait began and soon the curiosity of the Hobbits was stirred and Frodo asked Gandalf,

"Do you know what this day is that Aragorn speaks of? For we are happy here and I do not wish to go; but the days are running away, and Bilbo is waiting; and the Shire is my home."

"As for Bilbo." Said Gandalf, "He is waiting for the same day, and he knows what keeps you. And as for the passing of the days, it is now only May and high summer is not yet in; and though all things may seem changed, as if an age of the world has gone by, yet to the trees and the grass it is less than a year since you set out."

"It seems you still talk in riddles, Gandalf dear."

"Many folk like to know before hand what is to be set at the table; but those who have laboured to prepare the feast like to keep their secret; for wonder makes the words of praise louder. And Aragorn himself waits for a sign."

On the day before Midsummer messengers came from Amon Din to the city, and they said there was a ridding of fair folk out of the north, and they drew near now to the walls of the Pelennor. And the King said: "At last they have come. Let the city be made ready!"

Upon the very eave of Midsummer, when the sky was blue as sapphire and white stars opened in the East, but the West was still golden, and the air was cool and fragrant, the riders came down the north-way to the gates of Minas Tirith. First road Elrohir and Elladan with a banner of silver, and then came Glorfindel and Erestor and all the household of Rivendale and after them came the lady Galadriel and Celeborn, lord of Lothlórien, riding upon white steeds and with them many fair folk of their land, grey cloaked with white gems in their hair; and last came Master Elrond, mighty among Elves and men, baring the sceptre of Annúminas and beside him on a grey palfrey rode Arwen his daughter, Evenstar of her people.

And Frodo, when he saw her come glimmering in the evening, with stars on her brow and a sweet fragrance about her, was moved with great wonder, and he said to Gandalf:

"At last I understand why we have waited." And Sam, who stood beside him, asked,

"What do you see, me dear?"

"The Lady Evenstar, who shall be as an ending to it all. For now not only day will be beloved, but night too shall be beautiful and blessed and all its fear pass away!"

Then the King welcomed his guests, and they alighted; and Elrond sundered the sceptre, and laid the hand of his daughter in the hand of the King, and together they went up into the high city, and all the stars flowered in the sky. And Aragorn, the King Elessar wedded Arwen Undómiel in the city of Kings upon the day of Midsummer, and the tail of their long waiting and labours was come to fulfilment. 

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

T: * Phew * well I think we can all agree that that was a chapter and a half.

There are a great deal of direct quotes here, indeed probably far too many to list them all separately. Basically a good chunk of the description here comes from the second part of ROTK and Chapters four and five, that is `The field of Cormallen` And `The Steward and the King` Respectably. Pip's story is taken from `The Black gates open`.

Right, two notes here on Pippin and Sam's wounds and the thought behind them. 

I was originally going to do the story of Pippin's attack on the troll and his subsequent pinning beneath the body as Tolkien had, but it just seemed all too false to me. I mean Pippin is a tiny Hobbit and if you drop a troll on him something is going to give, that he escaped relatively unharmed just seemed…odd…to me. Thus this slightly alternative version of the tale was born and allowed me to play around with Pippin's role in the Scouring of the Shire.

Sam's injury and subsequent blindness comes as an explanation for Gandalf's assertion that Gollum might have a part to play `for good or for evil`. Now on first glance bring about Sam's blindness seems to be in the evil end of things but it is actually a little of both. For Sam will never now see the destruction wrought upon the Shire by `Sharky`…there will be another good/bad thing about his blindness that is a surprise but evident if you think about it.

That done R+R please, if only to praise the effort!


	7. Home

Empty tears.

                                          7. Homeward bound.

T: After getting half way through how I originally constructed this chapter I realised it was just getting far too long and so I've split it up. That means that the twist I may have mentioned last chapter as being in this one is actually in the next. Okay now that I've confused you, LOTR not mine, if it were then Sam would most defiantly be the hero. Warnings the same.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When the days of rejoicing were over at last the companions though to returning to their own homes. And Frodo and Sam went to the King as he was sitting with the Queen Arwen by the fountain, and she sang a song of the Valinor, while the tree grew and blossomed. They welcomed the pair and rose to great them; and Aragorn said:

"I know what you have come to say, Frodo: You wish to return to your own home. Well, dearest friends, the tree grows best in the lands of its sires; but for you two there shall ever be welcome in the lands if the West. And though your people have little fame in legends of the great, they will now have more renown than many wide realms that are no more."

"It is true that I wish now to go back to the Shire," Said Frodo, "But first I must go to Rivendale. For if there could be anything wanting in a time so blessed, I missed Bilbo; and I was grieved when among all the household of Elrond I saw that he was not come."

"Do you wonder at that Ring-bearer?" Said Arwen. "For you know the power of that thing which is now destroyed; and all that was done by that power is passing away. But your kinsman possessed this thing longer than you. He is ancient in years now, according to his kind; and he awaits you, for he will not again make any long journey save one."

"Then I beg leave to depart soon," Said Frodo.

"In seven days we will go." Said Aragorn. "For we will ride with you on the road, even as far as the country of Rohan. In three days Éomer shall return to bear Théoden back to rest in the mark, and we shall ride with him to honour the fallen. But now before you go I will confirm the words Faramir spoke to you, and you are made free forever within the lands of Gondor, and your companions likewise. And if there were any gifts I could give to the both of you for your deeds you shall have them; but whatever you desire you will take with you, and you shall ride in honour and arrayed as princes of the land."

But the Queen Arwen said, "A gift I will give to you. For I am the daughter of Elrond. I will not go with him now when he departs to the Havens; for mine is the choice of Lúthien, and as she so I have chosen, both the sweet and the bitter.  But in my stead you shall go, Ring-bearers, when the time comes and if you desire it. If your hurts grieve you still and the memory of your burdens are heavy, then you may pass into the West, until all your wounds and weariness are healed. But keep this now in memory of Elfstone and Evenstar with whom your lives have been woven!"

And she took a white gem like a star that lay upon her breast hanging upon a silver chain and she passed it into both Frodo and Sam's small hands and closing their fingers over the object said, "When the memories of fear and the darkness trouble you, this will aid you. Though I ask that you both look first to the bond you share for comfort before you use this gift."

*

In three days time, as the King had said, Éomer of Rohan came riding into the city, and with him came an éored of the fairest knights of the Mark. They made him welcome and the old dispute that lay between Gimli and Éomer over the lady Galadriel was settled and their friendship was set to rights. At last the day of departure came, and a great and fair company made ready to ride north from the city. Then the Kings of Gondor and Rohan went to the Hallows and they came to the tombs in Roth Dinen, and they bore away the King Théoden upon a golden bier, and passed though the city in great silence. They then laid the bier upon a great wain with Riders of Rohan all about it and his banners born before; and Merry being Théoden's esquire rode upon the wain and kept the arms of the King.

The other companions rode upon horses furnished according to their stature; and Frodo rode at Aragorn's side, Sam sat behind him with his sightless eyes turned unknowingly towards his far distant homeland.

"I wish that I might have seen the Shire one last time and perhaps perceived the great plains of Rohan."

"The Shire shall be there always in your memory and your heart, love, and as for the plains of Rohan if you ask Merry in happier times I am sure he shall describe them to you willingly." Frodo replied. "And perhaps it is well that you shall not perceive the grief of this day."

"And there may yet be occasions that are better for you not to see, Samwise." Aragorn said, only the faintest change in his voice suggesting this may yet be the case.

After fifteen days of hard ride they came at last to Edoras, where they rested a while. The Golden Hall was arrayed with fair hangings and it was filled with light, and there was held the highest feast that it had known since the days of its building. For after three days the men of the mark prepared the funeral of Théoden; and he was laid in a house of stone with his arms and may other fair things that he had possessed, and over him was raised a great mound, covered with green turves of grass and of white evermind.  And now there were eight mounds on the east-side of the Barrowfield.

Merry stood at the foot of the green mound, and he wept, and when the men had finished their song of morning he arose and cried:

"Théoden King! Théoden King! Farewell! As a father you were to me, for a little while. Farewell!"

When the burial was over the folk gathered in the Golden Hall for the great feast and put away sorrow, for Théoden had lived to full years and ended in honour no less than the greatest of his sires. 

When the feast was drawing to a close, Éomer arose and said: "Now this is the funeral feast of Théoden the King; but I will speak ere we go of tidings of joy, for he would not grudge that I should do so, since he was ever a father to Éowyn my sister. Hear then all my guests, fair folk of many realms, such as have never before been gathered in this hall! Faramir, steward of Gondor and prince of Ilthilien, asks that Éowyn lady of Rohan should be his wife, and she grants it full willing. Therefore they shall be troth plighted before you all." And Merry smiled at the words and the other Hobbits knew that he had had some small part in the event.

"We shall have to ask him about it soon." Pippin whispered. 

But for the moment the Hobbits could not satisfy their curiosity, for Merry had come now before Éomer and Éowyn to bid them final farewell.

"This I give to you Merry in memorial of Dernhelm and of the horns of the mark at the coming of the morning." And she gave to Merry an ancient horn, small but cunningly wrought of all fair silver with a baldric of green; and wrights had engraved upon it swift horsemen riding in a line that wound about it from tip to mouth; and there were set runes of great virtue. 

"This is an heirloom of our house," Said Éowyn. "It was made by the dwarves, and came from the horde of Scatha the worm. Eorl the young brought it from the north. He that blows it at need shall set fear into the hearts of his enemies and joy in hearts of his friends, and they shall her him and come to him."

Then Merry took the horn, for it could not be refused, and he kissed Éowyn's hand; and they embraced him and so they parted for that time.

*

Now the guests continued onwards, the Hobbits riding together now so that Merry might give them the tale of his part in Faramir and Éowyn's story and also so that he might tell Sam of the beauty of the plains of Rohan. They rested two days at Helm's Deep; Legolas and Gimli using the time to visit the glittering caves, then they moved again, heading now for Isengard. 

Here Frodo and Sam met Treebeard at last and the Ents suffered themselves to be described in a `hasty` manner to the blind Hobbit. Here also was Gandalf informed that Saruman had been let free from Orthanc by the Ents, who had been coerced into the act by the remaining charm of Saruman's voice. 

This at last was the sundering of the fellowship and Aragorn said farewell to Gimli and Legolas who were heading now into Fangorn, yet his farewell to the Hobbits was kept until they very place where Pippin had first looked into the Palantír.

"I wish we could have a stone that we could see all our friends in," Said Pippin. "And so that we could speak to them from far away."

"Only one stone remains that you could now use," Answered Aragorn; "For you would not wish to see what the stone of Minas Tirith would show you. But the Palantír of Orthanc the King will keep, to see what is passing in his realm, and what his servants are doing. For do not forget, Peregrin Took, that you are a Knight of Gondor, and that I do not release you from your service. You are going now on leave, but I may recall you." And then his eyes moved to Frodo and Sam and bending down onto his knees he took their hands and linking them together said,

"Never in my years have I seen such strength of devotion as I have witnessed between you. Go forth from this point blessed in happiness and love, so that you might have a light in the darkness." He paused and his hands fell again to his side. "Master Gamgee." He said after a moment," I owe you more than I can ever repay, yet I know already that you would not take gift or pledge should I offered it. Instead I say that if you do indeed travel to Valinor that upon that shore your sight might again be restored to you, yet should you follow another path I foresee that you may yet find another way to perceive the world you love so much." He paused again and his eyes moved to glance at Frodo's, reading what he could of the Hobbit's emotions from that place before he said, "Frodo, I would be able to offer you empty advice only and so I will not give it to you. Instead I say that times are not yet peaceful and that there may yet be chance for you to do as you wish and protect that which you love the most." And the words spark an emotion in Frodo's eyes that neither Merry nor Pippin recognise, but that would have caused Sam worry had he been able to perceive it. For it is determination, the very same determination that had begun to steal everything Hobbit like from Frodo's soul before he had been taken away from the Quest.

With a few parting words to and from Celeborn they parted; the sun setting behind them. They turned only once and beheld Aragorn in the light of the dying sun, his mantle kindled to flame and the green stone within his hands as a beacon in the steadily increasing night. 

For six days they continued up the path of the Isen, until they came at last into the shadow of the Misty Mountains an into the company of Saruman. 

"Well Saruman!" said Gandalf, "Where are you going?"

"What is it to you?" He answered. "Will you still order my goings, and are you not content with my ruin?"

"You know the answers." Said Gandalf; "No and no. But in any case the time of my labours now draws to an end. The King has taken on the burden. If you had waited at Orthanc, you would have seen him, and he would have shown you wisdom and mercy."

"Then all the more reason to have left sooner," Said Saruman; "For I desire neither of him. Indeed if you wish an answer to your first question, I am searching for a way out of his realm."

"Then once more your are going the wrong way." Said Gandalf, "And I see no hope in your journey. But will you scorn our help? For we offer it to you."

"To me?" said Saruman. "Nay prey do not smile at me! I prefer your frowns. As for the Lady here, I do not trust her: She has always hated me, and schemed for your point. I do not doubt that she has brought you this way to have the pleasure of gloating over my poverty. Had I been warned of your pursuit I would have denied you the pleasure."

"Saruman." Said Galadriel, "We have other errands and other cares that seem to us more urgent than hunting for you. Say rather that you are overtaken by good fortune; for now you have a last chance."

"If it truly be the last, I am glad," Said Saruman; "For I will be spared the rouble of refusing it again. All my hopes are ruined, but I would not share yours. If you have any."

For a moment his eyes kindled, "Go." He said. "I did not spend long study on these matters for naught. You have doomed yourselves, and you know it. And it will afford me some comfort as I wonder to think that you pulled down your own house when you destroyed mine. And now, what ship will bear you back across so wide a sea?" He mocked. "It will be a grey ship, and full of ghosts." He laughed, but his voice was cracked and hideous.

"Get up, you idiot!" He shouted to the other that travelled with him, who had sat to the ground; and he struck him with his staff. "Turn about! If these fine folk are going our way, then we will take another. Get on, or I'll give you no crust for your supper!"

The beggar turned and slouched past whimpering: "Poor old Grima! Poor old Grima! Always beaten and cursed. How I hate him! I wish I could leave him!"

"Then leave him!" Said Gandalf.

But Wormtongue only shot a glance of his bleared eyes full of terror at Gandalf, and then shuffled quickly past Saruman. As the wretched pair passed the company they came to the Hobbits, and Saruman stopped and stared at them; and all but Sam looked on him in pity.

 "So you have come to gloat too, have you my urchins?" He said. "You don't care what a beggar lacks, do you? For you have all you want, food and fine clothes, and the best weed for your pipes. Oh yes, I know! I know where it comes from. You would not give a pipe full to a beggar, would you?"

"I would, if I had any." Frodo said.

"You can have what I have left," Said Merry, "If you will wait a moment." He got down and searched in the bag at his saddle. Then he handed to Saruman a leather pouch. "Take what there is," he said "You are welcome to it; it came from the flotsam of Isengard."

"Mine, mine yes and dearly bought!" Cried Saruman, clutching at the pouch. "This is only a repayment in token; for you took more, I'll be bound. Still, a beggar must be grateful, if a thief returns him even a morsel of his own. Well, it will serve you right when you come home, if you find things less good in the South Farthing than you would like. Long may your land be short of leaf!"

"Thank you!" Said Merry." In that case I will have my pouch back, which is not yours and has journeyed far with me. Wrap the weed in a rag of your own."

"One thief deserves another." Said Saruman, and turned his back on Merry, and kicked Wormtongue and went towards the wood.

"Well I like that!" Said Pippin. "Thief indeed! What of our claim for waylaying, wounding and orc-dragging us through Rohan?"

"Ah!" Said Sam. "And bought he said. How I wonder? And I didn't like what he said about the South Farthing. It's time we got back."

"I am sure it is," Said Frodo "But we can't go any quicker, if we are to see Bilbo. I am going to Rivendale first whatever happens."

"Then I must come too, whatever evil he has done to our home. I'd be of little use now no how." And Sam sounded so down cast that Frodo stretched behind him to grasp his hand,

"You have already done more than enough, love. Let your heart ease at the thought of that."

"As for Saruman's mischief I doubt he is capable of much.

"He is capable of enough." Gandalf replied.

*

They journeyed ever onwards, the hardest moment to bear upon this last stretch to Rivendale was the departure of Celeborn and Galadriel. They bid Gandalf farewell in silent speech and though they said naught to the Hobbits they felt their sadness ease as the Elves going now to Lórien rode towards the mountains. 

"I wish we were going with them, Frodo." Sam said.

"Lórien would now be grim to behold, love, for all that kept it fair is fading into nothingness."

"Mayhap that is so, but to me at least it shall be ever green."

At last they came to Rivendale and they sought out Bilbo, old now beyond his years, yet sprightly still while not sleeping.

He opened his eyes and looked up as they came in. "My, my." He said "It seems you have been in the wars young Peregrin Took. And Frodo, my lad, you look fairly radiant, or perhaps it is some trick of my old eyes. 

"I shall be one hundred and twenty-nine tomorrow and in a years time if fate sees fit I shall best the Old Took. I would dearly love to beat him; but we shall see."

*

 After the celebration of Bilbo's birthday the four Hobbits stayed in Rivendale for some days, spending much time with Bilbo and recounting to him their tale.

"It is a shame about your sight, Sam lad." He said after Sam had given his account of things "For Rivendale looks fairest as it is now and your Master positively glows."

"It is a shame to miss out on the beauty of Rivendale to be sure, sir. But as for Frodo I can see him still here," Sam paused and gestured to his heart. "And the pail shadow of his light here." This time he gestured to his eyes and Bilbo smiled.

"Just so, just so." He said, "For I was forgetting that his light has ever been for you." And Frodo smiled then and took up Sam's hand, for Bilbo had already perceived the story of their hearts without having need to be told and had blessed it with all his own heart.

When nearly a fortnight had passed Frodo looked out of his window and saw there had been a frost in the night, and he knew suddenly, that it was time to go and bid Bilbo farewell. For the moment at least. Sam agreed with Frodo's thought, saying only:

"I'm worried for my old Gaffer, me dear, and Saruman's words ring still in my head."

"In mine too, love." Frodo replied. Thus agreed the pair went together to see Elrond and he agreed that they should leave the next morning. To their delight Gandalf said: "I think I shall come too. At least as far as Bree. I want to see Butterbur."

In the evening they went to say goodbye to Bilbo. "I have been expecting this farewell for a while now lads," he said. "But I shall not make this harder for you than it must already be." Then he passed to Frodo three books of lore that he had made at various times, written in spidery hand, and labelled on their red backs: Translations from the Elvish by B.B. 

He looked to Frodo as he reached for Sam's gift and when the younger Hobbit nodded his head just slightly Bilbo smiled and said,

"I am giving you a ring, young Samwise and it as with the other comes with responsibility. For it is the engagement ring of my forbearers and has been waiting in my care for a faint hope. That hope I see now in Frodo's eyes and thus the ring goes to you, along with that hope." He said. Sam smiled then as bright as the morning and once he had thoroughly examined the simple silver ring and it one brilliant diamond with his blind fingers, he placed it upon his left ring finger.

"I have nothing much to give you young fellows." He said to Merry and Pippin, "Except a fair sample of good advice," And once he had given enough of this to satisfy he added, "Be sure to stop growing soon, or you might find it expensive to keep yourself clothed."

"But why can we not try to beat the Bullroarer, Bilbo?" Pippin enquired, "As you are so set upon beating the Old Took."

Bilbo laughed and produced two beautiful pipes with pearl mouthpieces and bound with fire-wrought silver. "Think of me when you smoke them!" he said. "The elves made them for me, but I do not smoke now." And he nodded, then, into a deep and restful sleep.

*

The next day the Hobbits took leave of Bilbo in his room and at his request Frodo took up all of his notes so that he might continue his uncle's tale. Then they bid farewell to all the household of Elrond and the elflord himself

As Frodo stood upon the threshold, Elrond wished him a fair journey, and blessed him and he said:

"I think, Frodo, that maybe you will not need to come back, unless you come very soon. For about this time of the year, when the leaves are gold before they fall, look for Bilbo in the woods of the Shire. I shall be with him."

These words Sam too heard and though they worried him, they set also a small thrill within his heart.

*

At last the Hobbits had their faces turned towards home. They were eager now to see the Shire again; but at first they rode only slowly, for Frodo had been ill at ease. It was the sixth of October and a year to the day the Witch King of Agmar had struck Frodo with his blade. Yet of his pain he said nothing to none but Gandalf and even then he was loathed to talk of it,

"For I have no wish to increase Sam's hardships, Gandalf. He has enough to concern his mind as it is, for the moment, without the extra burden of old wounds."

"A time shall come where you have to chose between protecting him and keeping him, Frodo. But for now it is perhaps best, as you say, to keep this to yourself."

By the next day the pain and discomfort was lost and Frodo was again content. Yet the trouble of the previous day did not go entirely unnoticed, even by Sam's unseeing eyes and as they passed in haste under the shadow of Weathertop itself he clenched harder to his love and enquired,

"Does it haunt you still, me dear?"

"Nothing more than a passing shadow, love." Frodo replied, the lie evident as such but not questioned for the moment at least.

Their time in Bree was full of unexpected surprises, reunions and hard news, not just for themselves but for Butterbur also. The greatest and hardest of theses was the news that Bill had made his way back to the stables. Sam, of course, wished to visit his companion and wept for the cruelty of being unable to see him as he had wished.

Frodo took him to the stables and stood behind him as Sam placed his hands onto the horse's muzzle, aware, somehow, that this moment was ment for Sam alone.

"Bill me lad, we've both travelled hard it seems, though I'm sure your path was wrought with more danger than my own.  But we're home now, safe and relatively unharmed.

"You shall have to forgive your Sam, lad, for not petting you properly or offering you a treat of sorts, but your fool Gamgee's gone and lost his sight." And almost as if comprehending the words Bill lifted up his nose and pressed it to Sam's sightless eyes. It was simple affection, yet enough to bring tears to Sam's eyes. 

"Aye, but you're a smart one ain't you?" He mumbled affectionately.

When the travellers departed again the next day Bill walked along behind them, his reins ties onto Frodo's saddle horn and his back loaded again with bags. This was the last leg now, yet all joy at reunion and returning home after so much wondering far from their borders, was lost to them for the words Barliman had spoken to them.

"I can not help but wonder what he was hinting at." Frodo said eventually.

"All what I saw in the Mirror, but worse for who now shall give back what had been taken?" Sam replied.

"We shall have to do as well as we can."

"Oh yes, Pip, and what precisely is our best at the moment? Aragorn said that you were not to remove that cast for another week and thus you are useless to us. Sam has not his sight not to guide his anger and as for Frodo and myself…" He trailed then, his eyes turning to Frodo. The other nodded, for he knew what Merry would say, they were haunted the both of them by the shadow of evil and the guilt of staying behind, useless, while others fought in their stead.

"You shall do yourselves proud, for it is within all of you to do something with the ills you may find upon your doorstep. But I at least shall not be coming your way, for I believe it is long past time that I talked to Bombadil; such a talk that I have never had in my life time.

"But you must be going on if you are to pass the gates before they are locked."

"You know well enough that there are not any gates on the road, Gandalf." Merry said, "There is the Buckland gate, of course, but they shall let me through that any time."

"There were not any gates, you mean." Said Gandalf, "I think you shall find some now. And you may even have more trouble at the Buckland gate then you expect. But you shall manage all right. Goodbye, dear friends! Not for the last time, not yet. Goodbye."

He turned Shaddowfax off the road, and the great horse leapt the green dike that here ran beside it; and then at a cry from Gandalf he was gone, racing towards the Barrowdowns like a wind from the north.

"Well it seems it is just the four of us again." Said Merry. " And all that remains of the greatness we have seen is locked deep within our hearts. The dreaming is over."

"Perhaps." Said Frodo. "Or maybe it has just begun."

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T: Right, no real notes for this chapter and indeed I'm not sure if there are any direct quotes…no hang on, most of the Rivendale stuff is direct q. and far chunk of the journey up until Bree. Twist next chapter. R+R


	8. Havens

Empty tears.

                                          8. The Grey Havens.

T: The last actual chapter and defiantly the longest of the lot, thus I suggest you don't drink anything for a while. LOTR not mine, if it were then I so would have sent Sam with Frodo rather than tearing him in two. Right as is my little tradition I will be twisting unexpectedly in this chapter and those of a volatile nature might wish to find something soft and pliable to squeeze. Warnings the same with addition of my favourite STUPID FRODO, a must in all Grey Haven scenes! Also due to the decision last chapter timeline will now be chapter 10.

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It was after nightfall when, wet and tired, the travellers came at last to the Brandywine, and they found the way bared. For at either end of the bridge stood now two great gates, and on the far bank of the river they could just perceive come new houses, tall, murky and un-Hobbitish in their construction.

They hammered on the outer gate and called, but at first no answer came. Then, to their surprise, someone blew a horn, and the lights in the new houses went out. A voice shouted in the dark:

"Who is there? Be off! You cannot come in. Can you not read the notice? _No admittance between sundown and sunrise_?"

"I'm afraid I lost my sight while wondering away from home, not that I could read in the dark anyhow." Sam shouted back. "But if Hobbits of the Shire are to be kept out in the wet on a night like this then I have a suggestion or two of what to do with that note if my wondering fingers ever come upon it." At that a window slammed, and a crowd of Hobbits with lanterns poured out of the house on the left. They opened the further gate, and some came over the bridge. When they saw the travellers they seemed frightened.

"Come along," Said Merry, recognising one of the Hobbits. "If you do not know me, Hob Hayward, you ought to. I am Merry Brandybuck, and I should like to know what all this is about and what a Bucklander like you is doing here. You used to be on the Hay Gate."

Bless me! It's Master Merry, to be sure, and all dressed up for fighting!" Said old Hob "Why they said you were dead! Lost in the Old Forest by all accounts. I'm pleased to see you alive after all!"

"Then stop gaping at me through the bars, and open the gate!" Said Merry.

"I'm sorry Master Merry, but we have orders."

"Whose orders?"

"The Chief's up at Bag End."

"Chief? Chief? You mean Lotho I suppose?" Said Frodo.

"Yes Mr. Baggins: Or leastways that's who it was. We have to call him ` The Chief` nowadays so perhaps leadership has changed hands."

"Perhaps." Said Frodo. "Well it is goof that he has dropped the `Baggins` at least. Even so it is clearly time that the family dealt with him and put him in his place."

A hush fell on the Hobbits beyond the gate. "It won't do no good talking that way." Said one. "If you keep making that sort of noise you'll wake The Chief's Big Man."

"Then we will have to ensure we wake him in the biggest way possible." Said Merry as he sprang from his pony and spotting the notice in the pail light tore it up and threw it over the gates. The Hobbits backed away and made no move to open it. "Come on, Frodo, let us see if we can do our bit shall we." He said. The pair climbed the gate, and the Hobbits fled. Another horn sounded. Out of the bigger house on the right a large heavy figure appeared against the light in the doorway.

"What's all this," He snarled as he came forward. "Gate breaking? You clear out, or I'll break your filthy little necks!" Then he stopped for he had seen the gleam of swords.

"You recall me I hope, Bill Ferny." Said Frodo, "And that I am back now will be as an ill omen to you. Open the gate, or you shall live to regret it. Then once the gates are open you shall step through them and never return." Bill Ferny flinched, for he did indeed recall Frodo and knew well what his return signalled. And he unlocked the gates and tossing the key at Merry's head he sprung away into the darkness.

"Well I like that. But we have the key at least." Merry said as he pocketed the object in question. "And we have dealt with your Big Man. The Chief we shall see later, I think. But for the moment we need lodgings for the night and as the Bridge inn has been replaced by this dismal building, you shall have to put us up."

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Merry." Said Hob, "But it isn't allowed."

"What is not?"

"Taking folk in off hand and eating extra food, and everything else like that." Said Hob.

"What has been happening to this place since we left?" said Merry, "I thought we had had a fine harvest."

"And we did sir," Said Hob. "But the food has been taken up to be shared in equal amounts. Or so they say, but it gets gathered and eaten for we never see it again."

"This is all rather tiresome."  Said Pippin yawning. "We have food in our bags. All we need is a room to lie down in and we shall be better off than we have been at other times."

*

And though the Hobbits at the gates still seemed ill at ease, most likely as some rule was being broken, they had no wish to gainsay the travellers, especially when both Merry and Pippin were now uncommonly tall for Hobbits. Frodo asked that the gate be locked again, for it made sense to keep the guard still while ruffians were still about, and the four companions retired to the guard-house.

"Well it could have been worse." Sam said once they were settled before a rule breaking fire, their stomachs full and their hearts eased a little for they had shared their supplies with the guards, hopeful that the small kindness would settle the guard's nerves.

"I would say that it was bad enough as it is. No welcome, no beer and no smoke. I had hopped for a bit of a rest when we got here, but it seems there is work to do." Pippin said.

"Yes, but it can all wait until the morning." Frodo said.

At dawn they began to trek to Hobbiton at a fare pace, aware always of the smoke rising about them from many different points and of the change in atmosphere. And as they came to the East end of Frogmorton the confrontation they had expected came. For there they met a barrier with a large board saying NO ROAD; and behind it stood a large band of shirriffs with staves in their hands and feathers in their caps, looking both important and rather scared.

"What is all this about?" Asked Frodo, feeling rather inclined to laugh.

"You have been arrested, Mr. Baggins." Said the leader of the shirriffs, a two feather Hobbit, "And your companions also, for gate breaking, tearing up the rules, assaulting gate keepers, trespassing, sleeping in Shire-buildings without leave and bribing guards with food."

"And what else?" Said Frodo.

"That'll do to go on with." Said the shirriff leader.

"I can add some more, if you would like it," Said Pip. "Calling your Chief names, wishing to punch his pimply face and thinking you shirriff's look like a lot of tom-fools."

"There now, mister, that'll do. It's the Chief's orders that you're to come along quiet. We are going to take you to Bywater and hand you over to the Chief's men: and when he deals with your case you can have your say. But if you don't want to stay in the Lockholes any longer than you need, I should cut the say short, if I were you."

To the discomfort of the shirriffs Frodo and his companions all roared with laughter.

"Don't be absurd." Said Frodo. " I am going where I please, and in my own time. I happen to be going to Bag End on business, but if you insist on going too, well that is your affair."

"Very well, Mr. Baggins." Said the leader, pushing the barrier aside. "But don't forget that I've arrested you." 

"I shall not." Said Frodo. "Never. But I may forgive you. Now I am not going any further today, so if you will kindly escort me to _the floating lodge_ I shall be obliged."

"I can't do that Mr. Baggins. The Inn's closed. There's a shirriff-house at the far end of the village. I'll take you there."

"All right." Said Frodo. " Go on and we shall follow."'

As they continued on Sam listened to the talk of the Shirriffs until he heard a voice he recognised well. "Come here, Robin Smallburrow!" He called. " I want a word with you." 

With a sheepish glance at his leader, who looked wrathful but did not dare interfere, shirriff Smallburrow fell back and walked beside Sam, who dismounted from Frodo' pony and walked at its side, one hand clutched still to the saddle.

"Look here, cock-robin." Said Sam, "You're Hobbiton- bred and out to have more sense, coming a-waylaying Mr. Frodo here and all. And what's all this about the inn being closed?"

"They're all closed." Said Robin. "The Chief doesn't hold with bear, or at least that's how it began. Now though I reckon it's his men that have it all now a days.  He doesn't hold with folk moving around either, whether they have to or whether they wish too and so they have to come to the shirriff houses now to explain their business."

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself for being mixed in with such nonsense." Said Sam, "You used to be inside the pubs so much that ye could describe each by heart. Always popping in you were, on duty or off."

"So I would be still, Sam, if I could. But don't be so hard on me. What can I do? You know how I went for a shirriff seven years ago before any of this happened. It gave me a chance of strolling about the country, and seeing folk and hearing their news, and knowing where the beer was good. But now that's all gone."

"Ye could kick it all in if it has stopped being a respectable job." Sam said.

"We're not allowed to."

"If I hear _not allowed_ much more often I'm likely to get angry and that'll do no one any good, no how." Sam said.

"It might yet, Sam." Robin replied.

"Are ye daft, cock-robin? Or are ye just unobservant? Blind as a bat I am."

"True." Robin countered, his voice lowering as he did so "But ye are still fare impressive to look at, Sam and you would make a good leader for any resistance we may wish to form. For banded together we might yet make a difference."

"Aye, but folk'll be scared of standing up and it'll take more than the likes of me to stir 'em to frenzy." And with that Sam settled into thoughtful wondering.

The Shirriff house at Frogmorton was as bad as the Bridge House had been and the travellers were glad to bid it farewell at the last. They road with an escort, yet Merry made them walk in front as the travellers followed in ease behind. Yet soon they tired of this also and worked their horses into so fast a gallop that by the time they reached the Three Farthing Stone they were again on their own

On they moved until at sun down they came to Bywater by its wide Pool; and there they had their first really painful shock. This was Frodo and Sam's country, and they had found that they cared about it more than any other place in the world. Many of the houses Frodo had known and loved were lost, some burned and others just simply destroyed. Along the Pool side were several new and ugly houses, destroying an avenue of trees that had once had stood there. Up the road towards Bag End there was a tall chimney of brick just visible in the distance.

"How bad is it, me dear?" Sam enquired. Frodo tried to find idle comfort or even a soft way to tell the news, but knew that there wad nothing he could do now but honour the truth.

"It is terrible, Sam, as you have described Mordor to me but all the worse for the reality and being here upon our doorstep." He replied eventually, the words snuffing a little more of the contentment from Sam's eyes.

"Aye, I feared it might be as such."

"Let us continue on shall we? Scout out someone who can tell us what has been going on." 

But in the village of Bywater all of the houses and holes were shut, and no one greeted them. They wondered at this but they soon discovered the reason for it. When they reached _The Green Dragon_, the last house on the Hobbiton side, now lifeless with broken windows, they were disturbed to see half a dozen large ill-favoured men lounging against the inn-wall; they were squint eyed and sallow-faced.

"Like Bill Ferny's companion." Said Frodo.

"Like many that I saw at Isengard," Muttered Merry.

The ruffians had clubs in their hands and horns by their belts, but they had no other weapons, as far as could be seen. As the travellers rode up the left they left the wall and walked into the road, blocking the way.

"Where do you think you're going?" Said one, the largest and most evil looking of the crew. "There's no road for you any further. And where are those precious shirriffs?"

"Coming along nicely." Said Merry. "Though they were a little footsore so we promised to wait for them here."

"Garn, what did I say?" Said the ruffian to his mates. "I told Sharky it was no good trusting those little fools. Some of our chaps aught to have been sent."

"And what difference do you think you could have made?" Merry enquired. "We did not expect footpads in this country but we know well how to deal with them."

"So that's your tone is it? Change it or we'll change it for you. You little folk are getting too uppish for my like, but Sharky's here now and he'll ensure things get done."

"What things might this be?" Frodo enquired.

"Why a waking up of this country and a setting to rights also. It's in Sharky's power to do it and he will make no mistake. And you'll learn a thing or two before the year's out, you little rat folk."

"I am glad to hear your plans." Said Frodo. "And as I am on my way to call on Mr. Lotho I shall make sure he knows of them as well."

"Lotho knows alright and he'll do what Sharkey says. Because bosses can be changed and trouble makers sent away somewhere quiet, do you see?"

"Yes I see." Said Frodo. " I see that you are behind on things. For your day is over now; the Dark Tower has fallen and there is a King again in Gondor. Isengard has fallen and your master is a beggar in the wilderness now. I passed him on the road. The King's messengers will pass up the Greenway now, not bullies from Isengard."

"The man starred at him and smiled, "A beggar in the wilderness!" He mocked. "Oh, is he indeed? Swagger it, swagger it, my little cock-a-whop. But that won't stop us living in this fat little country where you have lazed long enough. And" He snapped his fingers in Frodo's face, "King's messenger's! That's for them! When I see one I'll take notice, perhaps."

This was too much for Pippin. His thoughts went back to the field of Cormallen, and here was a squint-eyed rascal calling one of the Ring-bearers `little cock-a-whoop. ` He cast back his cloak, flashed out his sword, and the silver and sable of Gondor gleamed on him as he rode forward.

"I am a messenger of the King." He said. "You are speaking to the King's friend, and one of the most renowned in all the lands of the west. You are a ruffian and a fool. Down on your knees in the road and ask pardon, or I will set this troll's bane on you."

And the ruffian laughed then and asked, "Do you expect me to believe that threat? You hold that sword like some foreign thing, for I am guessing it belongs rather in that broken arm of yours." Yet Pippin did not shy away, but rather gripped harder to the hilt of the sword, even though as the ruffian had supposed he was more used to fighting left handed than right. Yet he was not alone and Merry road up to greet him, Frodo following not a moment later, his face grim.

The ruffians gave back at last. Scaring Bree-land peasants, and bullying bewildered Hobbit, had been their work. Fearless Hobbits with heard hearts and bright swords were a great surprise. And there was a note in the voices of these new comers that they had not heard before. It chilled them with fear.

"Go and if you ever set foot here again you'll regret it." Merry said as he and the others advanced. Having about as much as their yellow hearts could take the ruffians turned and fled, though they were blowing their horns as they went.

"Well we have come none too soon, it seems."

"Yes, not a day too soon." Said Frodo. "Though we may yet be too late to save Lotho."

"Save Lotho. Whatever could you mean? Wouldn't to make more sense to destroy him?" Sam enquired.

"I do not think you quite understand, love." Said Frodo. "He did not ever mean it to come to this. He has fallen into a trap, for the ruffians have taken over control, looting and bullying all in his name. And it will not even be in his name soon enough. He's a prisoner in Bag End now, I suspect, and very frightened. We aught to try and rescue him."

"Well I am with Sam." Pippin said. "For all the ends I could imagine while out in Gondor this is the worst. To have to fight even on our own doorstep"

"Fighting will be better than staying silent while they continue to destroy out homeland. But there is to be no slaying of Hobbits, even if they have gone over to the other side. And I mean really gone over, not just obeying ruffians orders because they are scared."

"I admire the spirit, Frodo, but those horn calls a minuet ago were obviously for back up and we are just two as far as able fighters go."

"What do you suggest Merry?" Pippin enquired, for he knew well the light in his Cousin's eyes and comprehended well that it ment some plan was formulating within that sharp mind.

"We raise the Shire." Merry replied. "It is evident that none care for this apart from a few who like the power. They are tinder waiting for a match and I have just the thing." And Merry lifted up the horn Éowyn had given to him and pressed it to his lips. The sound that immerged was the most compelling that ever the Hobbits had heard, but a moment later the note changed and Merry's voice rose out into the Horn Cry of Buckland,

"Awake! Awake! Fear, fire, foes! Awake! Fire, foes! Awake." And that seemed to do it, for a moment later the doors about them opened and the Hobbits poured forth.

 They gathered together into units and then some at Merry's orders began setting barriers to either end of the village and others set a fire to ease the chill in the bones and there the travellers made their base. Soon enough a familiar face came over to group and made himself known with a greeting of,

"T'is good to see you living still, Sam lad and you too Mr. Frodo."

"Just as it is good to hear your voice again, Mr. Cotton."  Sam said, his sightless eyes turning to face his old friend. Frodo watched Farmer Cotton flinch just slightly before a grim comprehension filtered onto his face.

"I heard the whisper of your ailment as I worked through the rank, Sam, but I'd half hoped to find it no more than a rumour."

"I've made my peace with it." Sam replied, something in his voice as a trigger to Cotton, for he nodded once to himself and then turned his attention to Frodo, 

"What's our next move then, lad?"

"We can do little more until we are sure of a few details."

"Ask me what you will and I'll answer best I can."

"What are their numbers?" Frodo enquired.

"T'is hard to tell accurately as they're constantly on the move. But I'd say fifty here in Hobbiton."

"Then there are more elsewhere?" Pippin said.

"Aye I'm afraid so. A good few in Longbottom, Sarn Ford and the Woody End also. There's the Lockholes to consider also, the tunnels at Michel Delving that they've turned into a prison for those that oppose them.

"But I'd say there's no more than three hundred in the Shire all told, mayhap even les than that. If we stick together we'll win out."

"Perhaps. First we kneed to know about their weaponry." Merry said.

"Naught more than whips, knifes and clubs. Or at least that's all they've shown. T'is something else when they fight and a few have bows, for they shot down one or two of our folk."

"Then we have cause to start fighting back, for they have struck the first blow." Merry said.

"Beggin your pardon, sir." Said Cotton. "But that's not exactly true. T'was the Tooks that began the shooting. Your father's never had much love for Lotho, Mr. Peregrin, not even at the beginning of the thing. Said that if any were to start being chief t'would be the right Thain of the Shire and not some up start. And when Lotho sent his men they got no change out of them. The Tooks can hide away in the deep holes of the Green Hills and the Great Smials and keep well out of the ruffians reach.

"Not that they'll suffer 'em to come onto their land. One foot across the border and the Tooks'll hunt 'em. They shot a few for prowling and robbing, but the ruffians didn't care for that and their keeping a closer watch on Tookland now. None are getting in or out."

"Good for the Tooks!" Cried Pippin and was about to say something else before Merry stopped him.

"No. I do not care if it is your right or if it shall help, you are not going, Pip."

"Why? It is only fourteen miles over the fields and I could be back by morning."

"Because I can not see you walk away into danger again, not willingly." Merry replied, his bravery crumbling for a moment in the face of his fear. Pippin took him into a one armed hug,

"Merry…Meriadoc, do not be foolish. I shall come back to you as I always have and then I shall never again leave you. Anyway, it is for the best, you know that well enough."

"Fine, fine. But I shall hold you to that promise Master Took."

"Then I am off to the Smials. Will anyone come with me to Tuckborough?" He enquired. A dozen hands were raised and soon Pippin was mounted again on his horse.

"I shall bring you an army, Merry." He said. Merry was silent a moment then blew a horn-call after his Cousin's retreating back. The people cheered. 

"All right!" Said Merry after a moment, "I have a plan."

"Yes, I thought you might." Said Frodo. "So you can make the arrangements." Just then some Hobbits, who had been sent out in the direction of Hobbiton, came running in. "They're coming. "They said. "A score or more. But two have gone off West across country."

"To Waymeet, that'll be." Said Cotton, "To fetch more of the gang. Well it's fifteen miles each way. We needn't trouble about it just yet."

Merry turned to give orders and Farmer Cotton sent all but the older armed Hobbits into the houses. Soon enough they heard voices, and the tramping of heavy feet. Presently a whole squad of ruffians came down the road and perceiving the barrier broke into laughter. They did not imagine that there was anything in this little land that would stand up to twenty of their kind together.

The Hobbits opened the barrier and stood aside. "Thank you." The men jeered. "Now run home to bed before you're whipped." Then they marched along the streets shouting, "Put the lights out! Get indoors and stay there! Or we'll take fifty of you to the Lockholes for a year. Get in! The Boss is loosing his temper."

No one paid any head to the ordered, and as the ruffians continued on they closed in silently behind them and followed. When the men reach the fire they found only Farmer Cotton standing alone and warming his hands against the fire.

"Who are you and what do you think you are doing?" Said the Ruffian-leader.

Farmer Cotton looked at him slowly. "I was about to ask you something similar, for this is not your land and none wish you here."

"Is that right?" said the leader." Well we want you. Take him to the Lockholes lads and give him a little something to shut that quiet mouth."

The men took one step forward and then stopped. All about them a roar of voices had began and they realised suddenly that Farmer Cotton was not alone. They were surrounded. In the shadow beyond the firelight stood a ring of Hobbits that had crept up out of the night. There were nearly two hundred of them, all holding some weapon.

Merry stepped forward. "We have met before," he said to the leader. "And I warned you never to return. I warn you again, though there is little I would like more than to kill you myself, stand aside. Oh, and before you consider fleeing again I rather recommend you use that simple mind of yours, for you are standing in the light and I have archers everywhere in the gloom about you. Now lay down your weapons."

The leader glanced about him, imagining bright arrows pointed at his heart in every shadow. Yet he was not scared, not now that he had a good score of men behind him. This sudden wash of bravery and the fool notion that he was dealing with nothing more than simple folk who had never lifted a weapon in his life coalesced into the decision to break through.

"Charge."  He cried.

With a club in his right hand and a knife in the other he rushed the ring, trying to burst out towards Hobbiton. He aimed a savage blow at Merry who stood in his way. He fell dead with four arrows in him.

That was enough for the others. They gave in. Their weapons were taken from them, and they were roped together, and marched off to an empty hut that they had built themselves, and there they were tied hand and foot, and locked up under guard. The dead leader was dragged off and buried. 

"Feels all too easy after the fuss wouldn't you say?" Cotton enquired. "Though mayhap all we needed was a call. Ye came in good time, Mr. Merry!"

"The battle is not over yet, Mr. Cotton." Said Merry. "If you are right then we have not even dealt with a tithe of them yet. But night has fallen and I think the next stroke must come in the morning. For our next task is to call on The Chief."

"Why wait?" Sam enquired. "It's no more than six if my reckoning is sound and I wish dearly to be assured that my old Gaffer is well."

"He is as well as can be expected, Sam" Cotton said. "For they dug up Bagshot Row and that t'was a hard blow to him. He's living in one of The Chief's new houses now, not a mile from Bywater. But he comes over to us, when he gets the chance, and I make sure he's better fed than most. All of it _against the rules_ of course. I would have had him living with me, but t'wasn't allowed."

"Thank 'ee Mr. Cotton, it'll be kindness not easily repaid." Sam said,  "Well there's naught for it now then to go to him and let him see the trouble his son's fallen into."

"If you are set, Sam, then my Jolly here will guide you in his direction." Farmer Cotton said after a moment.

"And I shall come with him." Frodo said as he came to stand at Sam's side. Cotton regarded them for a moment and then he set a hand to Frodo's shoulder and said,

"Keep him safe, lad." In such a low whisper that even Frodo had to strain to hear it.

*

As they travelled Jolly informed them of how things in the Shire had come to this pass and the pair listened inventively at first, but soon Frodo dropped their horse back a little their guide and his words washed away on the wind.

"Thank you for coming with me, Frodo."

"I am doing it because I want to, not only because you need more protection than one guide can offer and also because you shall need support."

"Do you think he will comprehend why I did it? Why loosing my sight seems only as small penance for the reward of getting you back?"

"I do not know, love. Your father is a wise man and he might, like Bilbo, already see the reasons behind your actions."

"If not this ring shall tell him," Sam said as he touched the object in question with the tip of his thumb. For the briefest of moments Frodo found himself encapsulated by the object, found all his thought and desire snared into its simplicity, then in the blink if an eye he was himself again, though he felt almost the ghost of a chain, dragged down still by heavy burden, about his neck.

"T'is the next house, Mr. Frodo." Jolly said, his voice breaking the spell entirely. 

"Thank you." Frodo replied as he dismounted from the horse and offered a hand so that Sam might do the same thing.

As they drew up to the building Frodo could se that it was, as Farmer Cotton had said, another of the cold brick houses that seemed to define the ruffian's architectural prowess. 

"I'll wait for you out here, Mr. Baggins."

"What if there is an attack?"

"Then I'll fend them off as best as I can." Jolly replied. A glint in his eyes telling Frodo all he needed to know.

He tapped on the door and then when no response was forth coming, Sam took his turn beating the door with his fist and adding a shout of,

"Dad, dad. It's me, I've come home." And that got the reaction they had hoped for.

Gaffer Gamgee had not aged in the passage of time, but there were lines on his face that had not been there as they parted. Lines that all but faded as he took his son into his arms,

"I thought ye were dead. Lost in the Old Forest. But if ye haven't been dead all this time, lad, what have ye been up to?" He enquired as he moved back so that he might look his son in the face.

And suddenly it was to Frodo as perceiving Bilbo in that one moment before the Quest had truly begun, a much loved face changed and distorted, not this time by desire or anger, but by grief inconsolable. With tears in his eyes the Gaffer raised a shaking hand to brush his son's forehead then catch hard to his face,

"My boy, my boy." He mumbled, his voice catching. Sam lifted his own hands to touch his father's and smiled, such a smile that it melted Frodo's heart to see it. 

"T'is alright, dad. I suffer this small thing in punishment for leaving my Master's side. But I've been repaid five times over for it by being allowed to come back there again." Sam said. The Gaffer stared blindly at his son a moment, his hands smoothing those pressed to his until he found the ring. Turning to better see the object he examined it only a moment before he began to laugh.

"Well if this isn't the greatest of things for an old man to behold, proof positive that he wasn't going daft in the head like his dear departed wife might have him believe. `You'll be seeing elves next, Hamfast Gamgee.` She said to me, well Bell I wish you could be here to see this, if only so I could brag." He said once his mirth had petered slightly.

"What are ye one about, Dad?" Sam enquired, perplexed in the sudden change of mood.

"Why the band upon your finger, me lad and what it means." And lifting his eyes away from Sam for a moment he saw Frodo at last and his smile broadened.

"Well Mr. Frodo, or _Frodo_ as it should be now I suppose, I hope ye never have cause to regret this choice."

"Which choice would this be?"

"Why to take my lad as yours until the end of all things, for that is what an engagement ring signifies."

"That it does." Frodo replied and though he felt a thrill go through him at the thought of it, he doubted now whether he would ever see such a future or whether he even deserved such a thing even in the present.

"Well come in, come in, lads. I'm sure you've got quite a tale to give me between you."

"We have, dad, but it's best we were getting back, for Master Merry will need all the support he can get." Sam said.

"Fine, fine, but I'll walk if ye don't mind. Horses aren't for me."

*

By the time the four of them returned to the fireside the Gaffer was beaming with parental pride and Frodo had all but forgotten his fear and doubt. Farmer Cotton was glad to see that the Gaffer was little aggrieved by Sam's news, indeed he seemed in much greater sprits now that he had his son with him again. After talking over the plans for tomorrow Frodo, Sam and the Gaffer retired to Farmer Cotton's home for as much rest as they could muster in these troubled times.

They rose early to the news that all had been quiet,

"But the trouble will come." Cotton said, "For the group from Waymeet will be here soon enough." But good news came not long after this dire prediction in the form of a messenger from Tuckborough,

"The Thain had raised all his country," He said. "And the news is going like wildfire all ways. The ruffians that were watching our land have fled off South, those that escaped alive. The Thain has gone after them, to hold the big gang down that way; but he's sent Mr. Peregrin back with all the other folk he can spare."

The next news was less good. Merry, who had been out all night, came riding in about ten o'clock. After taking a moment to catch his breath and to smile at the messenger's news he gave his own, "The Waymeet lot are coming. We've prepared for them, true, but the friends they've gathered might be a bit more than we can handle." He said. "And they are burning as they come. Curse them!"

"Ah! This lot will not stop to talk, they'll kill if they can." Said Farmer Cotton. "It seems we'll be making a valiant stand less the Took come before the ruffians."

The Tooks did come first in a troop a hundred strong with Pippin riding at their head. Once he had been greeted with a strong hug from Merry, he told all that he knew of the enemy's movements and the last of the plans were set.

The ruffians came up the east road, and without halting turned up the Bywater road, which ran for some time between hills and hedges. As they turned around a bend no more than a furlong from the main road they came to a barrier of upturned farm-carts which halted their path. They became aware, then, that the hedges lining the roads were filled with Hobbits and that a group of Hobbits had pushed out wagons to block their path backwards. A voice spoke to them from above.

"So you have strolled into a trap have you?" Merry enquired. "Well so did your Hobbiton lot and we have killed one of them. Lay down your weapons and step back twenty paces and I shall ensure that is not your fate also. Oh and I assure that anyone trying to break out will be shot."

But these ruffians were not as easy to cow as the previous group and though a few of the more timid obeyed the command they were set on by their fellows. A score or more of the group broke into retreat and charged the wagons, but as Merry had warned they were shot by his archers. Six fell but the rest broke through the line, slaying two Hobbits, and then scattering in the general direction of the Woody End. Two were felled as they fled. Merry blew a loud horn-corn, and there were answering calls from a distance.

"Our hunters shall deal with them now." Pippin said.

The other men had climbed the barriers and the hills, their number large enough so that even though many were killed by arrow or axe the strongest and the bravest soldiers broke free and began to kill Hobbits with great ferocity, for they wanted their captors deaths now more than they wished escape. Moral dropped as more and more Hobbits fell to this attack, but in the darkest moment Merry blew his horn again and charged into the fray. There he met Frodo, sting clenched in his hand, its blade already filthy with blood and once he acknowledged his Cousin's presence by a slight nod of the head he drew sword and began to fight. It was Frodo that found and slew the leader of the ruffians, a great Orcish like bruit with a squint eye and a slow parry. Merry drew the forces off then, encircling the remnant of the men in a wide ring of archers.

At the last all was over. Almost seventy of the ruffians were dead, and a dozen had been taken prisoner. Nineteen Hobbits were killed and some thirty wounded. The dead ruffians were hauled by wagon to a nearby sand-pit and buried there and later the grave was named the Battle Pit and visited by all those who wished to recall the horrors of war. The grave of the fallen Hobbits (set on a hill and later marked with a great stone) also became a landmark of this kind and the names of all those who has died was recalled and honoured each year in that place and on the anniversary of the battles end.

The greatest of honours went to Merry, Pippin and even to Frodo and even many generations after the battle their names were set amongst the greatest Hobbits in history.

And with the battle over and the later labours ordered the hardest moment of the traveller's journey had come.

"It must be done I suppose." Frodo said.

"Yes and the sooner the better." Said Merry. "Lotho has to pay penance for the atrocities those ruffians have committed."

"Then you must go with escort." Farmer Cotton said. "For there may yet be ruffians at Bag End." And so under guard they went, walking now rather than riding, their minds and their hearts heavy with the tasks they had already had to perform this day.

The destruction wrought on the land over the bridge was unimaginable and as Frodo's eyes scanned the field where Bilbo had held his party he stopped mid step. 

"What is it, Frodo?" Sam enquired and taking a moment to ease his own shock Frodo replied,

"They have cut down the party tree, love." And as if this was the last horror that Sam could bear he broke down into tears.

A laugh put an end to that. There was a surly Hobbit lounging over the low wall of the mill-yard. He was grimy-faced and black handed. "Don't care for it do 'ee, Sam?" He sneered. "T'is a pity ye can't see it for yourself but we can't have everything can we? Especially now we've work to do in the Shire."

"Work?" Sam enquired, "Ye wouldn't know the meaning of the word, Sandyman, for all your money's come from bullying others to ye work for 'ee. But I've come now to stop ye bullying anymore folk."

"Ha! Ye can't even see me, let alone hurt me." Ted Sandman replied, "And if ye think ye friends scare me then think again. I'm a friend of the Boss's and he'll kill anyone of ye at my word."

"A pretty threat, Sandyman." Frodo said. "But we are on our way to talk to your Boss now and we have already dealt with his men."

And Merry made a sighs and their escort began the trek over the Bridge. Dashing back into his mill, Sandyman ran out with a horn and blew it loudly.

"I rather fear I have something better than that." Merry said as he raised his silver horn to his lips and winded it. At the sound of its note the Hobbiton Hobbits came forth and followed the company up the road to Bag End.

At the top of the lane the party halted, and the travellers went on towards the once well-loved place.

The garden was full of huts and sheds, some located so near to the western windows that they cut away the light. There were piles of rubble everywhere. The door was scared and the bell chain hung loose and useless to one side. When knocking brought no answer they crossed over the threshold into the filth and disorder beyond.

"Well it is clear that no one has lived here for some time." Merry said. "Let us get out of here and search the sheds shall we?"

"All the light and happiness has gone from this place and it is as the darkest thing in my nightmares. Indeed it is Mordor, for ever has Saruman done Mordor's work, even when he believed himself to be doing his own." Frodo said.

"If I had know that this was the mischief Saruman was up to I would have shoved my pouch down his throat." Merry said.

"Of course you would have. But of course you did not and so I am here to welcome you home." There standing in the door was Saruman himself, looking well-fed and well-pleased; his eyes gleamed with malice and amusement.

A sudden light broke on Frodo. "Sharkey." He cried.

Saruman laughed. "So you have heard the name have you? All the troops in Isengard used to call me that. A sign of affection I believe. But it is clear you did not expect to see me here."

"No I did not guess." Said Frodo. "But I was warned by Gandalf that you might yet be capable of a little mischief."

"Quiet capable." Said Saruman. "And of more than a little. I was very amused by you Hobbit princes, riding in such great company, so content and so proud of yourselves. You believed your victories amazing, and thought you could destroy my home, and turn me away but none could touch the Shire. Gandalf would ensure it."

Saruman laughed again. "But as always Gandalf has forgotten you now that you have done as he wished. Yet you followed him still, taking the longer route of course and suddenly the thought came to me that I could ride ahead of you and teach you a little lesson. One that might have more of a point if you had let me have more time to gather my men. Still I have already caused irrevocable harm and it will please me no end to set that against the wounds you have caused me."

"If that is where you find your pleasure then I pity you." Said Frodo. "For it will be a pleasure in your memory only. Leave and never return"

The Hobbits of the villages had seen Saruman come out of one of the huts, and at once they came crowding up to the door of Bag End. When they heard Frodo's command, they murmured angrily.

"Don't let him go! Kill him! He's a villain and a murderer. Kill him!" 

Saruman looked around at their hostile faces and smiled. "Kill him!" He mocked. "Kill him, if you think there are enough of you, my brave Hobbits!" He drew himself up and stared at them blankly with his black eyes. "But do not think that when I lost all my goods I lost my power! Whoever strikes me shall be accursed. And if my blood stains the Shire, it shall wither and never be again healed."

The Hobbits recoiled. But Frodo said: "Do not believe him! He has lost all powers save that of his voice, which can daunt and deceive you should you allow it. But he is not to be killed. For what is the use of matching blood with blood, revenge with revenge? It shall change nothing. Leave, Saruman, and by the speediest road."

"Worm! Worm!" Saruman called; and out of a nearby hut came Wormtongue, crawling, almost like a dog. "To the road again, Worm!" Saruman, "These fine lordlings are casting adrift again. Come along!"

Saruman turned to go, and Wormtongue shuffled after him. But even as Saruman passed close to Frodo a knife flashed in his hand, and he stabbed swiftly. The blade turned on the hidden mail-coat and snapped. A dozen Hobbits led jointly by Merry and Sam, leapt forward with a cry and flung the villain to the ground. Sam drew his sword.

"No, Sam!" Said Frodo. "You too know the wisdom of sparing his life this day and of pushing away the anger in your heart." Sam sheathed his sword again and Saruman rose to his feet, looking first to Sam and then to Frodo. There was a look in his eyes of mingled respect and hatred and wonder. "You both have grown." He said. "Far beyond the greatest of even the heroes of men. You are wise, and cruel. You have taken the sweetness from my revenge and made it bitter, for I must leave now indebted to your mercies. I hate them and I hate the both of you. But there is comfort still for me for I see well your future together; for what comfort will you find in the darkness from a blind servant my smart one?" He walked away then, and the Hobbits made a lane for him to pass; but their knuckles whitened as they gripped on their weapons. Wormtongue hesitated, and then followed his Master.

"Wormtongue!" Called Frodo. "You need not follow in his shadow. For I know of no evil that you have done to me. You can stay here, resting until you are strong enough to carry on."

Wormtongue halted and looked back at him, half prepared to stay. Saruman turned. "No evil?" He cackled. "Oh no! For even when he goes missing in the night it is only so he might look at the stars. But I heard you asking where poor Lotho might have gone. Worm knows, do you not? Will you tell them?"

Wormtongue cowered and whimpered: "No, no!" 

"Then it is my task." Said Saruman. "Worm killed your little Boss. Did you not, Worm?  I believe he stabbed him in the sleep and buried him. Though Worm has been very hungry lately. No Worm is not really a nice man at all and is best left to me,"

A wild look of hatred came to Wormtongue's red eyes. "You asked me to do it. Forced me to even." He hissed.

Saruman laughed. "Yes and you always do what Sharkey asks you to eventually, do you not Worm? Well Sharkey asks you to follow now!" He kicked Wormtongue in the face as he grovelled, and turned and made off.  But at that something in Wormtongue snapped and pulling out a hidden knife he sprang onto Saruman's back, pulling his head back and slit his throat. Then in the blink of an eye he was off down the lane, but he did not get far before the archers shot him down.

About Saruman's body a mist gathered, straying to the west for a moment before the wind from that direction blew it into nothingness. Frodo looked at the body in pity, for it had aged beyond reckoning, the skin of the face shrunken into nothingness. Lifting up the skirt of Saruman's cloak he covered the body over and turned away.

"Well that is the end at last." Merry said, "A hard end that will not be easy to forget but an end none the less."

"Yes the very last stroke," Frodo replied "But it is a shame that it had to fall here at my doorstep."

"Well it will not be the end until we get this mess cleared." Pippin said. "Though with a little help from our friends it should not take that long."

*

Two months after Saruman's loss, things in the Shire were almost entirely back to normal. Those Hobbits who had been within the Lockholes had been released and Lobelia had given Bag End back to Frodo, having nothing left for her in Hobbiton as she did. Bagshot Row was re-built to a higher standard and the Gaffer was restored to number three.

Only the restoration of the Shire's greenery was needed now and when at last Sam had time to think on the problem he recalled both Aragorn's words and the Lady's gift. A plan formed in Sam's mind and guided only by memory he made his way into the garden of Bag End and allowed his fingers to settle again into the soil. It was as if coming home, yet still he perceived nothing but darkness and his hope faltered. 

Then a faint haze of light filtered into the darkness, nothing entirely clear but he knew from memory that each bright light marked where once a beloved plant had grown and blossomed. This was gift indeed and having no wish to squander it all in the need to recall his homeland again, Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out the little box. Setting it to the ground and freeing his hands for the moment from the soil he pushed the lid open and placed his fingers into the container. It felt as no more than dust and a small nut in one corner of the box, but he knew, somehow, that it was much more than it seemed and placing it again into his pocket for the moment he went in search of the plants he would need to restore his homeland.

Using the faint sight given to him by the magic of the soil, Sam planted trees and flowers back were they belonged, covering the soil about them with a handful of the dust. At the last he had only the nut left and that he planted where once the party field had stood, hopeful that it would exceed the greatest of his expectations.

The passing of time had fallen hard upon Frodo's shoulders, his mind weighted always now for the desire of the Ring and all that it might have given him. At first he kept that desire to himself, having no wish to burden his friends with what he still believed no more than a passing thing. Yet as the months had passed, ever slower, the burden had grown rather than decreased and he found himself striking out against those that had been party to the loss of this Thing. 

First Merry and then Pippin had tried to aid him in pushing away this burden at last, yet both failed and had no choice but to watch as Frodo turned away from himself and at last began to hate Sam. For he had been the one to take the Thing from him, to steal away Frodo's potential to be great, to grow above the pain of stab, sting and heavy burden. Yet though the hatred mouldered within his heart as some fetid thing, growing always and poisoning all that was good as it went, Frodo managed always to refrain from striking Sam, his love for the Hobbit as a temporary relief from the madness. 

It was only a matter of time, though, before he did the unthinkable and thus he began to keep himself away from Sam's presence as much as he could, finding always some convenient lie to tell his friend. Both Saruman's parting words and Gandalf's early wisdom rose often in his mind, the one as taunt and hard truth and the other as the choice that lay clear ahead of him. 

Eventually, but a month after the restoration of the Shire, Frodo had made his choice and had come with Sam to the Gaffer's so that he might implement that choice. 

"Frodo?" The Gaffer enquired, his voice bringing Frodo back to the future. 

"Forgive me, my mind was wondering."

"Aye, my lad tells me it's been doing it a lot of late." The Gaffer said as he gestured with one hand into the kitchen, where Frodo could see Sam lent against the wall, his eyes crinkled with laughter due to something Marigold had said.

"It is because of my behaviour recently that I have come to you Master Gamgee," Frodo said. The Gaffer shifted slightly in his seat and his face became grim,

"Well t'ain't good news, that much I can tell right off. For you've not called me Master Gamgee since ye were but a slip of a lad still fresh here from Buckland."

"I am scared of myself, scared of what I have become of late." Frodo said, his eyes moving again to fix onto Sam. "He cannot help me now you see, because he does not know that I am failing, can not see the signs and help me in the darkness. And it becomes to late, far to late…" He trailed, words lost to him for the moment.

"Ye are scared of harming him? Scared of doing something ye shall never be able to take back?"

"Yes."

"And ye want me to take that fear from you? Ye want me to have my lad back with me?"

"Yes."

"And that doing such a thing will destroy my lad has no meaning to you I suppose."

"It is better to harm him this way than to kill him. You see I love him far to well, Hamfast, and if I hurt him…"

"Aye. It is all to clear to me now. That's why your face froze up when I mentioned the bonds of an engagement ring, for ye knew even then that the threat of this shadow was on ye. 

"I will do it, Frodo, but only until I think it right for my lad to come back to you. Only until I myself feel the threat has waned."

"Thank you, Hamfast. I shall take my leave now before I begin to doubt and take back this choice." Frodo said, gaining his feet and with another glance to Sam turned and left the room. 

The sound of the front door closing alerted both Marigold and Sam's attention and they came into the living room together, Marigold quickly picking up the other's absence and enquiring,

"Where has Frodo got to, dad?"

"I'll tell ye in a moment, lass. Let me have a moment with ye brother first though will ye?" He enquired and Marigold knew that tone of voice well and once assured that Sam was sat down excused herself into the kitchen again.

"What's going on, dad?" Sam enquired.

"Things are going to be a little hard for a while, lad, hard to comprehend for the both of us. But we'll get through, don't ye worry and everything will be again as it was."

"Dad."

"Frodo's asked that ye stay here with me, just for a while." The Gaffer replied. Sam's face froze and that was all the encouragement the Gaffer needed before he stood and crossing the space between them, caught the lad into a hug. Some of the shock must have filtered away at that, for Sam began to shake and mumble the steady repetition of the word "No" as he cried. And all the while his father held him, trying vainly to keep his son from the shadow of something he himself little comprehended.

*

 A year passed, the movement of time marked as always in the Shire with the growth and spreading of rumours.  One subject never far from being discussed within the community was the reasoning behind Sam's reinstatement at Number three and Frodo's retreat into almost complete hermitage.

The latest belief was that the Frodo had propositioned the young Gamgee and had been turned away, thus retiring from polite society for the sake of retaining the last dregs of honour within the family name.  Those who disagreed with this theory were quick to point out that Frodo's Cousin's still visited regularly and that if anyone was to be sullied through such an event it would be the lower born Gamgee and as Sam had been seen just recently on the way to Cotton's farm this could not be the case.

And indeed it was not, for Sam's departure had been all for Frodo's fear as had Frodo's subsequent retreat from society. 

Sam had not been idle in the passing of time, but had roped in Merry and Pippin to spy on Frodo, just as twenty years previously they had asked him to spy for them. Thankfully, though, they were a little more froth coming with their news than he had been and on the 20th of September the careful watch was greatly rewarded.

"It is as you suspected." Merry said as he placed his mug back onto the table. They had gathered in the Green Dragon, both to alleviate the chance of unwanted ears listening in on them and so that they might have a drink or two together.

"Then he is off to the Havens?"

"Tomorrow if the frantic packing is anything to go by." Pippin remarked.

"Aye t'would have been a last moment thing, for he would have had to work himself up to leaving me here to pine away for him. Fool Baggins can't see past his own stubbornness or he'd know I'd never let him go alone no matter what he thought best."

"I fairly well know the answer already but I will ask anyway, do you not think it might be for the best Sam? You may yet have a life here on Middle Earth."

"No, no I won't, Merry. Ye see I've suffered as he and the memory of the Ring has ensured that everything here is empty to me now. Any way, my heart goes with Frodo and if he left without me I'd fall into nothingness. No, this is best for us all."

"Then I think that Pip has something you will want to have." Merry said. And Pippin slid a small box over to Sam and one the other had it within his grasp he smiled.

"Aye, it eases me to know I have this and I have to thank ye both again for doing this for me. Well if everything goes as it should I shall see ye tomorrow."

*

Sam crossed the threshold of Bag End without knocking, for he knew well that Frodo would no answer such an impersonal request and that their was but one way to make any progress.

"Frodo?" He enquired.

"What can I do for you, Sam?" The voice same a little to his left and thus Sam turned, his hand moving forwards searching and finding the well remembered contours of Frodo's face. 

"You've been crying." He remarked as he brushed the dampness away.

"I have been saying my last goodbyes."

"Aye to all but the most important thing."

"I wanted to leave without arguing or indeed without loosing the last picture of you in my head, safe and content as you should be."

"Such a thing you would have no need to recall if ye but let me come."

"I can not. You saved the Shire Sam, not just once but twice and now it is there for you to live within and love for the remainder of your years."

"Ye would have me live here with the tantalising memory of ye always in my head and nothing for comfort but the darkness behind my eyes. Yes I saved the Shire, but that was not my aim, at least not the first time around. All I wanted was for ye to be re-born into tales so that I could have you with me just a little longer before I let go.

"And I got so much more than that and I shall not let it go, not just because you are scared. To that end I wanted to say that as it was the Ring that drove us apart then perhaps another ring can bring us back to where we were before this foolishness." Sam passes a small box over into Frodo's waiting fingers then and waits.

Contained in the box is a simple ring wrought of pail silver and traced with Elvin script that Frodo quickly translates as reading `always and forever. ` He fingers the lettering a moment, the fog of his mind clearing until he knows. Then he places the ring onto his left ring finger, takes up Sam's hands and presses his forehead against the others. 

"I doubted and through that doubt I lost all that was pure and true in my life."

"It is already lost, dearest heart." Sam said before he moved his head slightly and brought Frodo into a kiss.

*

On September the 21st the four travellers set out again upon their last journey together. Yet they felt no grief and as they travelled they talked of the memories awoken by the road and sung simple songs of a typically Hobbity nature.  

Eventually they were joined by a group of fair elves; among whom road Elrond and Galadriel. Both wore openly now their Rings and though there was a sadness in their eyes there was a great joy also. Behind the elves  rode Bilbo, a faint smile now on his aged lips.

"Well, Master Samwise." Galadriel said once Elrond has given his greeting. "I hear and see that you have used my gift well and that you perhaps now better understand the magic inherent within the soil itself." Sam bowed but gave no answer for he found his words clumsy now that he was again in the Lady's presence. 

"Well, Frodo." Bilbo said as the travellers settled in to ride beside him, "It seems we have both done all that we wished and that our time is running low."

"Yes it is running low, but we go on to better things."

On they rode until they came at last to their journeys end, the docks at the Grey Havens and the vast sea beyond.

"It sounds beautiful." Sam remarked and Frodo smiled,

"It is beautiful, love, indeed it is the greatest thing that I have perceived in my life and it grieves me that you shall never see it."

"He may yet see it." Gandalf remarked as he came up from behind them.

"Then you are coming too?" Frodo enquired.

"Yes I am coming too, for I too bear a Ring of Power." An as he said this Frodo perceived that there was indeed a Ring upon his finger.

"It is time." Gandalf said once Frodo's wonderment had faded..

And Frodo and Sam took first Merry and then Pippin into their arms.

"Well my dear Hobbits, our time has come to an end." Frodo said, "But yours is just beginning." And then he passed to them a red leather bound book that they recognised well. "The remaining pages are for you to fill." And he took Sam's hand then and together they crossed onto the ship that was waiting for them.

Frodo cast up the phial of Galadriel and Merry and Pippin watched its light pail into nothingness on the horizon. Then together they turned  away and almost subconsciously they reached out and with their hands linked together began the journey home.

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T: Quiet a lot again here is direct quote…though some has been altered or given to another character where necessary. Basically most of the Scouring is direct q. 

One main note here I think, visa vi the length that Pip's arm remains in a cast, hopefully I've done the math right and it's no more than a month but if not can you just pretend it is…ta!  Oh and yes, Pip is left handed for some odd reason.

There is an epilogue on its way just to tie off the loose ends and then a timeline for those confuzled.

R+R. Cheers.


	9. Hope

Empty tears.

                                          9.Hope for the future.

T:  One epilogue as promised and the last bit of narrative for this fic. Well it's been a roller coaster ride, but the support of the reviewers has given me hope again in fan fic.net. Yes this is a retraction of my earlier statement and yes I will be continuing to post here. Anyway warnings remain the same with the addition of SAP and a good smidgeon of M/P, which has been sneaking in since the last chapter! LOTR not mine, if it were then it'd most likely be a musical all the way through.

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He stairs a moment at the blank page before him, then at the steady handwriting crossing the right hand page. It feels wrong somehow to be doing this, but it was asked of him by one he thought of as brother and thus he could not refuse the request. Dipping his pen into the ink well before him he thinks a moment before he writes:

 _21st September 1433 S.R._ in the top left-hand corner, then as an after thought he pens: _From the pen of Meriadoc Brandybuck, Master of Buckland_ in the top right hand corner. This done he begins to write properly, pausing every now and again to collect his thoughts.

It has been eleven years since Frodo and Sam left for the Grey Havens and in all that time I have given no real thought to beginning to place my story into these pages. For it feels wrong to me somehow, for the Red Book has ever been a Baggins possession and I feel sometimes that it was ment to remain as such. Yet perhaps that is just sentiment clouding my mind. Whatever the cause of this delay it means that I now have a fair amount to place here within these pages even though my story has barely begun.

The first year after the departure was a time for remembrance and often it was the case that Pip and I would sit in the Green Dragon with the Gaffer and talk of the good times. Yet it was also a time for changes, both large and small. The largest was the decision that Pip and I would not go back to living as we had been, separated by the vast tracks of land between Buckland and Tuckborough, but that we would find a little Smaile somewhere in-between for the both of us to live.  Of course our parents had a great deal to say to the decision their greatest argument being that we would never get our future spouses to agree to remain in such an arrangement. Thankfully that shall never be a problem, for the relationship between Pip and I had, by then, moved beyond what it had been and become something far greater. We told our parents that much as well and though they were a little put out to begin with they soon got used to the idea. 

Once we had found a place within Willow Bottom we settled quickly into our life together, for always this possibility for the future had been but a small step away. Yet even together there was an emptiness still within our lives and I recall that often I would come home to find Pip staring off towards the Havens.  I would never ask what was wrong, but wait patiently until he came back to himself and explained as always that he was, "Wondering how they are." I would catch myself doing the same every now and again, just turning inwards until I could see them together their contentment as a light upon their skin.

When the twenty-fifth of March came, that year, I woke in the night to find Pip gone from my side. Panic caught me and without much thought I grabbed my sword from its place under the bed and went out into the hallway. There was a light in the living room and there I found Pip, wide eyed and coated in a thin film of sweat. Placing the sword to one side I sat down next to him and brought him into my arms,

"What is the matter, my own?"

"It was horrible, Merry."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes and no. I dreamt that Frodo found a way to get to Mount Doom, but he did not destroy the Ring. Instead he claimed it for his own, but then Gollum bit his finger off and got the Ring and then he stepped back to far and fell into the fire bellow.

"But because he did not destroy it himself Frodo got all sad and turned inwards. Then Sam got married, Merry and though he came to live with Frodo it was not the same. And Frodo left for the Havens on his own which fare broke Sam in half, for he loved Frodo despite his marriage."

"It does not sound so bad."

"It was not, not really. It was just Frodo looked so unlike himself as he said goodbye and Sam looked all but ready to jump onto the boat with him."

"Well that is as maybe, but it was nothing but a dream, my love." I said and Pip had smiled and the moment passed.

But the memory of the dream haunted him for a while afterwards and sometimes he would tell me about how happy Sam was and that he had his sight in this world and so many beautiful children. I listen to those words and see the life they described pictured in my head and somehow it seemed more the life Sam should have had. Peaceful, contented and little marred by the shadow. And I felt sad that he had given that life up, yet things had been better the way they turned out, for Frodo too had found happiness that way.

But I ramble on and I have something yet to tell you of in this transition year before I move into the tale of my life. In the second year after the departure Pip found a letter upon our doorstep written mainly in Frodo's fair hand but with the occasional sentence scrawled in Sam's slightly sharper one. This in itself was as good news to us, for it was clear that to be able to write Sam needed to have gained his sight again. Indeed as we read the letter we found this was indeed the case and the joy with which Sam described all that he saw about him and the love with which he talked of Frodo's progress in Valinor destroyed all thoughts of the life he might have had. 

The letter asked us to reply and gave us some unusual instructions on how to send our response once we were done. This we did gladly, giving each of our friend's news that we knew they would have wish to hear. To Sam we described how well his little Mallorn had grown since last he had set his blind fingers to it, and we told him of how well the Shire looked now that his work had had time to grow and blossom. To Frodo we gave the news of our choices and of the growth and blossoming of Gondor since Aragorn had begun his rule. Then we sent it as they had asked and not a week later we received a reply.

This correspondence has filled at last the void within our lives and has given us great joy, for it feels now as if Frodo and Sam are but a heart beat away waiting for a time when perhaps we too might be able to join them.

Whether that time will come I do not know. For neither Pip nor I bore the Ring or did anything of such renown to earn us a place upon a ship. Yet even if we have nothing to look forward to within the future but more of this life, then I have hope, for there can be nothing other than contentment now that I have my Took at my side.

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T: And at last it is over. Not entirely sure how the letters got from Middle Earth to Valinor but if I were to hazard a guess I'd say magic…it's much easier this way. As I have said I am going to post the timeline for this next chapter for those confused, for those not cheers for reading.

R+R.


End file.
